Where the Fairy Falters
by Draconai
Summary: BIG (at-dollar-dollar) SPOILERS! No, seriously, I'm not even going to say anything about this here. This game is too awesome for me to spoil it for you and I'm going to spoil it for you if I say anything about this fanfic in this section. I'll put a real summary inside at some point, but don't click that link unless you've finished the game. I'm warning you. (beat) You were warned.
1. Interrupting An Idle Afternoon

Draco: Just a little something that I've been slow-cooking since I got Bravely Default. Probably just going to get this one up as a teaser and then get to finishing Legend of Ransei.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Prelude: Interrupting An Idle Afternoon**

The advantage to a hermit's life in Yulyana Woods comes with the expansive lake resting in the middle of the forest. The large body of water is home to a great deal of aquatic life - and aquatic monsters - and the water itself, separate from both the oceans and the nearby Flor-Cheim Sea, remains pure and clean, leaving anyone in the woods with something to eat and something to drink at any given time.

Naturally, the elder Sage living in the Yulyana Needleworks took advantage of this bounty. His walking staff was designed with a weaving wheel at the head, which he used to his advantage when working on the garments he was famous for selling in the city of Florem - a city which became a more profitable, yet less favourable, visit each time. But needle and thread have their other advantages - and now, the Sage stepped to the edge of the dock not thirty paces from his place of living.

From the weaving wheel, the Sage drew a length of thread, so thin as to be transparent to all but the most attentive of eyes. To the end of it he tied a knitting needle, and upon that needle he set a small fragment of meat that he had prepared earlier. Once that was prepared, he glanced around, ensuring that he was alone; then he lifted his staff, which proceeded to turn in the air above his head, gaining momentum. Once it reached the desired speed, he lashed it forward in a thrust, aiming it slightly skyward, before jerking it back suddenly, leaving needle, threat, and bait to soar forward and strike the water near the center of the lake.

At that, he took the staff in hand again and sat down lightly, sitting there, idle.

A few moments passed before the wheel began to turn, a slight tug catching his hand; and the Sage raised his gaze, the staff leaving his grip once more as it lashed back.

"_Fish!_"

The wheel spiralled, the thread drawing in, and motion showed on the lake as he drew his bounty out - a great Megalodon, the strongest shark in the sea. They had been appearing with disturbing frequency of late, and with an idle sigh, the Sage set his staff against the dock as the beast released his needle, which withdrew with the thread back into the head of his staff.

"Well, no sense in taking this challenge alone," he mused idly to the beast. "Bringing any friends with you?"

The shark rose, most of its body emerging above the body of water as another rose on either side. The Sage was never quite sure how sea beasts managed to stand on the surface of the water when they saw fit to challenge anyone on the shore - but he only sighed, his staff beginning to tremble as an updraft rose around him, causing his robes to waver.

Then something else shot out of the water with frightening speed.

The three Megalodon and the Sage both raised their gaze to the figure that rose above them, rising so high as to obscure the sun. Its face was masked, its leggings carried sharpened points, and in its hand was a spear headed with a star-tip blade. No sooner had the Sage picked out these details - with the sharpened eyes of a weaver, and reflexes that defied time's remorseless arrow - than the figure surged down, impaling the center Megalodon with enough force to send a wave towards both other and the Sage as well.

The attacker pulled his spear out as the strike landed; his weight forced the Megalodon to sink, and he quickly drove his spear in and leapt atop it - this left everything from his ankles up above the water as the other two Megalodon spun towards him.

Glance left, glance right; then he lashed his right hand down - prompting six minute crystalline figures to appear before him - figures that prompted the Sage to step back in astonishment. His hand struck one of those figures, and a light wrapped his body as he turned - and the obscuring armour of a male Valkyrie vanished, replaced with the ornate sundial crown of a Time Mage. A casting staff appeared in his hand, yet he had not time to raise it before the sharks leapt at him.

He crossed his arms and shouted, "Default!"

A barrier of icy cobalt appeared around him as the sharks collided, mitigating the damage if not eliminating it, and he quickly leapt away as the sharks landed, raising his staff above him. A rift of time cast a shadow over the sharks as a shower of meteors tore down, striking the creatures, and the attacker hit the water. The headgear provided enough drag before he sunk that he was able to surge a flurry of stones from the lakebed to provide him a platform.

He was greeted unkindly when the Megalodon leapt at him again - weakened, but not defeated.

A curse tore through his lips as he leapt away, landing on the shores as he lashed his hand down again. The six stones appeared before him again as he ran along the shore, the sharks tearing through the water to approach him, and he struck one stone to summon another flurry of light around him, forming the black armour of a Dark Knight with five points at the helm's crown.

The sharks leapt again; the fighter only dove forward as they collided with the earth, rolling back into the water. He reached forward to grab his sword in his off hand - a straight-edged katana, blade marked with the name of swordsmith Masamune - as the sharks approached him. "Brave, Brave, Brave!" he shouted, flares of crimson emerging around him. He lashed his sword towards them, not slowing his pace as one, two, three waves of darkness surged out, striking the sharks each time. One fell sooner than the other, which leapt towards him, but the warrior only flipped the over his head, catching it in his good hand and lashing it with an uppercut that tore the Megalodon in half.

He was still for a long moment. No more sea beasts chose to attack him as he recovered his bravery.

Then he sighed, casting his blade to the earth. He was near the dock at this point, and he shook his head as he stepped forward. "I wasn't sure that was going to work," he admitted idly. Slowly, he raised his gaze to the Sage, who stood there with his hand on his casting staff.

The Sage kept his gaze on the one-way black visor of the helm of the Dark Knight armour.

"Yulyana, Sage of Yulyana, archbishop of the Crystal Orthodoxy against the forces of Lord Lester DeRosso, creator of the asterisk system, co-founder of the Council of Six of the Duchy of Eternia."

Slowly, the needleworker nodded, not moving his gaze.

The warrior swept his hand down again, prompting the six asterisks to appear before him again, and he set his hand on that holding the power of a Dark Knight - and the light flared around him, removing the armour from him.

And leaving him in freelancer garments that belonged in Norende Village.

"Am I the first one here?"

* * *

Draco: I don't know what you think this is going to be, you're wrong. Unless you're right.

I'll go into deeper elaboration of my version of the Brave/Default system as this progresses. The Special Movie unlocked after the end credits helped influence it, so if you've watched that one then my writing will make more sense to you without my own elaboration.


	2. Arrival of the Sky Knights

Draco: Screw it, I don't have the patience to wait on this. I've got too much inspiration running.

Just a heads up in case it becomes relevant, I will be using the character ages from the original Japanese release of Bravely Default. It might just be the modelling style, but they were clearly designed with those original ages in mind and Ringabel just doesn't _look_ 23. I'd say he doesn't _act_ 23 either, but considering Yulyana doesn't act 101, let alone 1900, I don't have much to say there.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: Arrival Of The Sky Knights**

"That's today done."

The words echoing through the inn of Norende prompted the elders to turn as two boys stepped inside - Tiz Arrior, and his younger brother Til. Young they might be, but the two of them put more work into a day than some of the older men did in a week - and never a complaint from either of them that the work was getting too hard, or too busy.

"Great work, boys!" one of the elders called, waving them over to his table. "How were things today?"

"Nothing with any trouble," Tiz admitted, sitting down in and empty chair as Til went to get them some milk. "What about you guys?"

"Ah, the usual run," another mused. "The ale in my glass has got more flavour than the stories around here by now."

With a snicker, Tiz picked up the glass under his hand looking inside. "There's nothing in here," he mused.

"There's nothing new around here!" the elder protested. "I wish Norende Village would have a little more excitement one of these days. If I don't get something I haven't seen, I'm gonna go sign up for the smithy in Caldisla and train my sword arm!"

Til came up at that moment, setting a glass of milk down in front of Tiz before taking the seat next to him. "You guys should help us out in the field again sometime," he said kindly. "It's gotta be more exciting than sitting around here." At that, he raised his own full glass to his lips.

Yet another elder sighed. "My old bones aren't up to that much work," he admitted. "I'm in no condition to be tending sheep."

"Well, what's gonna get your bones moving?" Tiz questioned.

"Ah, I dunno," he admitted. "A little adrenaline, maybe."

Til set his now-empty drink down. "So we gotta scare you?" he asked.

"No, boy," the first of the elders corrected. "You gotta scare the village."

Curious, Til slumped back in his chair, thinking.

It was then that a sound like a beast's roar echoed through the air around them, and both of the boys tumbled out of their chairs as the elders grabbed the table. Tiz's glass shattered on the floor, spilling milk everywhere, but he only wiped what had splattered on him out of his eyes and exchanged glances with Til; then the two of them rushed out of the inn, leaving the door open behind them for the crowd to follow suit.

Soaring above the sleepy village of Norende was a great figure in bronze. The Arrior boys could do nothing more than watch as it screamed over the plain, following it with their eyes as everyone else in the village did.

"No way!" Til cheered. "Was that-?"

"An Eternian airship!" The elder's cry prompted Tiz to face him. "A sight I never thought I'd see in my lifetime. A beauty she is, to be sure, but what action might bring someone to this region from Eternia I cannot know."

Tiz turned back to where it had flown. "That's... kind of worrisome," he murmured.

Til grabbed his arm. "The sheep!" he said. "I think the airship might have startled them! We'd better go check!"

"O-of course!" Tiz agreed. Til took off, with Tiz right behind him - but his mind still lingered on the airship.

_Why are they here?_

+x+x+x+

"Approaching Lontano Villa. Stand by on the com."

Captain Argent Heinkel's words caught the expectant ears of Edea Lee, who stood just inside the airship at a small communications center. She used 'center' loosely - in reality, it was just a radio, a notepad, and a half-melted Eternian Special Parfait that she had yet declined to finish. Nearby was Ominas Crowe, shaking as though nervous - or sick - and she knew that Holly Whyte would be drilling the grunts of the Sky Knights, with Barras Lehr waiting at the anchor.

The imminent crackling came through the com before too long. _"Come on, respond, respond. Damn it, where's their signal?"_

Edea quickly grabbed the radio. "Eternian galleon-class airship, _Eschalot_, requesting permission to dock. Over."

No sooner had she released the transmission on the radio than a loud cry came through the feed. _"Response! Finally. Er, this is Lontano Villa, vacation residence for the king of Caldisla. What is your business, Eschalot? Over._"

"This is _Eschalot_," Edea replied. "We are here to retrieve a visitor to the Caldis region from Ancheim, and take her into protective custody. Once we have concluded, we will be departing immediately. We promise no harm to the people of Caldisla unless direct offenses are taken. Over."

_"This is Lontano. We understand your objectives, but I'm afraid to say we have no airship berth. Over."_

"Stand by, over." Edea quickly lowered the radio and made her way out onto the deck of the Eschalot. Heinkel turned to her, with a confused - and slightly irritated - look on his face, but Edea wasted no more time than was necessary. The Eschalot was pivoting over Lontano Villa, and Edea quickly scanned the structure before heading back to the com and grabbing the radio again.

"This is _Eschalot._ I see a suitably extended balcony and some very firm earth. Allow us to board from the balcony, and we can handle the rest. Over."

_"This is Lontano. You have permission to dock. Please don't wreck anything, over."_

Edea chuckled nervously. "Er, this is _Eschalot_. I'll do my best. Can't make any promises for the others. Over and out."

She hooked the radio back up and quickly changed the feed before Lontano could make any objections. Moving quickly, she opened the door and said to Heinkel, "We're good to dock. Bring her close to long balcony. I'll tell Barras to get ready." Then she took off into the ship, finding Barras weightlifting the Eschalot's anchor - the bruiser was the biggest reason the airship had been designed with an anchor that chained from the inside in addition to one from the outside.

"Barras, we're nearing the villa," Edea told him. "We're gonna need you to lower the anchor."

"FINALLY!" Barras yelled, nearly blowing Edea's eardrums out. "I've been waiting to smash something since we got on this boat!"

A sigh passed through Edea's lips. "I'll see if Heinkel can station you at the south Caldis lake," she promised. "Alternis said there were a lot of fish monsters around there." _That'll stop you from brutalizing the villagers,_ she added to herself.

Barras grumbled, chaining the anchor from the inside wall. No sooner had he finished a crude knot around the head - with chains thicker than his forearm, no less - than Ominas came inside, shaking his casting rod. "Barras!" he shouted. "Edea!"

"What is it, Ominas?" Edea asked.

"The Captain says we c-c-c-can't get close to the balcony without wr-r-r-recking the ship," the black mage stuttered. "We're gonna have to d-d-d-drop the anchor on the balcony and c-c-climb down the chain."

Edea sighed. "Tell him we'll handle it," she said to Ominas. "I'll open the hatch, Barras."

The boarding gate opened, and Barras hoisted the anchor over his shoulder as though preparing to throw it.

"Slowly, slowly!" Edea shouted quickly. "We're trying _not_ to wreck this place."

Barras rolled his eyes at her.

Edea set one hand on the katana at her hip - Ise-no-Kami, a gift from Swordmaster Nobutsuna. Simply the sight of it, a reminder of _who_ and _what_ Edea was, was enough to make Barras turn around and set the anchor down long enough to grab it forehand and lower it out the gate.

"Lower it gently," she said as Barras balled the chains around his fists. "You just want to _kiss_ the balcony. Just softly. Just a peck. A smooch, like you were kissing Holly."

Barras promptly released the chain, hooking his hands behind his head. The anchor plowed straight into the balcony, formed a crater around itself, and dislodged one of the supports, which promptly crashed into a ground-floor window as the other end came unfastened from the wall and plummetted to the earth.

Edea was shocked the balcony didn't shatter. at that. Looks like Caldislans knew how to build their villas.

"I said kiss it!" Edea roared at Barras.

The monk only roared, leaping out of the airship with a look of glee on his face. He grabbed the chain as he passed, his hands sliding down the links in a pattern that would be brutally painful for anyone other than Barras Lehr.

Edea fell quiet for a moment, taking in the implications of what Barras had done - and immediately wishing she hadn't. A shudder wracked her body as she stepped forward, grabbing the chain and slowly climbing down. Not wanting to sit through Crowe's stuttering lecture, she dropped to the balcony from her own height and a half, steadied herself carefully, and took off after Barras.

Unsurprisingly, Barras was harassing the guards, asking where the drink stock was.

It wasn't too long before the Knights of the Eternian Sky had all gathered in the hall at the top of the villa. Heinkel stepped forward once the last of the grunts had come in, drawing his sword to get their attention. "Alright," the captain said firmly. "Does everyone remember our given orders?"

Barras pounded his fist into his palm, a brutal grin on his face.

Holly tapped her staff on the floor, her mind wandering.

Flames began to spark at the tip of Ominas' casting staff.

Edea sighed. "Find the vestal, and keep her safe," she recited, loud enough that everyone would hear her. "Do not harm a hair on her head. Take no offensive action to the townspeople unless they obstruct this course of action deliberately and with intended malice."

A horrified shout came from Barras as he spun to her.

Holly set a hand on her head, remembering, before parting it irritably.

Ominas lowered his staff, looking rather awkward.

Heinkel nodded at Edea's words. "Correct," he stated. "We are not to harm the vestal or the people unless absolutely necessary. Am I clear?" Here he turned to the assembled soldiers.

"Yes, sir!"

Edea stepped forward. "Sir, if I may make a request..."

Heinkel turned to her. "What is it?"

Glancing back at the monk briefly, she said to Heinkel, "May I request that Barras take post as the southern Caldis lake?" she asked. "The position should give him clear sighting of any ships approaching the harbor, and the lake is home to several aquatic monsters that can provide a safe outlet for any boredom that might arise from this mission."

A moment passed; then Heinkel raised his gaze to Barras. "Is this alright with you, Barras?"

"Well, yeah, sure!" Barras agreed. "That'll give me something to smash when I get bored!"

"That's what she just said," Holly grumbled.

Heinkel nodded. "Very well," he agreed. "Barras, Holly, you'll take the _Eschalot_ and take position at the southern Caldis lake with twenty troops. Crowe, you'll occupy Centro Keep, north of the city. Edea," he added, "you are to go to the village of Norende and obtain what information you can. Once you are finished, you'll act under Crowe's command. The rest of you," he called, turning to the assembled soldiers, "you'll remain here. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Draco: That seems like a fair length.

I took slight liberties with the Sky Knights' orders by having it with them from the beginning, rather than newly arrived when they got there.


	3. A Most Unkind Farewell

Draco: Inspiration is yet going crazy and I need to get used to this laptop so here we go.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: A Most Unkind Farewell**

Edea arrived in Norende as the sun began to rise.

She had left Lontano Villa this time yesterday.

"One of these days," Edea muttered, sheathing Ise-no-Kami as she walked towards the residence, "I'm going to bait Heinkel in here, hire a ninja to get his attention, and watch him swathe a clear path through here. Seriously, what kind of town plants itself in the middle of the forest without a-"

Here she came to a stop, for her gaze had wandered after a mosquito come too close to her ear - which directed her attention to the clear path not two minutes away from her.

"Oh, come on!" she roared. Now she was angry at herself for taking off straight into the trees when she had been deployed. Come to think of it, Holly had been about to speak with her when she had departed. Of course, Barras hadn't given her the time to finish talking, so Holly had left before passing on the information. The next time she saw Barras, she was going to kick his-

"Hello, there."

Edea's thought process came to a halt as she spun around, her hand flying to Ise-no-Kami - but she stopped herself from drawing the blade when she saw who it was. A boy roughly her age, perhaps a year or two older, with a small lamb at his side. The sudden action prompted the boy to step back with a yelp, scrambling at his waist until his hands fastened on a small survival knife. "Woah, relax!"

"Oh, uh, sorry," Edea insisted, laughing nervously. "Um... who are you?"

"I'm Tiz," he replied slowly, slipping his knife back into his belt. "Tiz Arrior. I'm a shepherd here. You are?"

"Edea Lee," she introduced. "This is Norende, right?"

Tiz nodded. "You need something?"

"I'm looking for someone," she replied. "Can I maybe get something to drink, somewhere to rest?"

"Of course," Tiz replied. "Come with me."

+x+x+x+

"So, why were you up at the break of dawn, exactly?"

Edea's question as she, Tiz, and his sleepy-looking brother Til met at the Norende inn, noon that day, was answered with a grim chuckle from Tiz. "I've been up since midnight," he admitted. "That's when Til came back from his turn. The sheep have been acting up ever since that Eternian airship roared over us."

"The _Eschalot_ isn't that noisy, is it?" Edea said without thinking.

"That was you?" Til asked weakly, turning to her.

Tiz raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Er, yeah," Edea admitted, glancing around. No one was at the inn except the usual elders and the waitress who approached them now.

"Light coffee, with milk and two sugars," Tiz requested.

"Same here," Til murmured.

"Ancheim style, please," Edea said kindly. At the waitress' confusion, she elaborated, "Light, extra sugar, extra sugar, and then some, and then some, and then some."

"That's not even going to be liquid anymore," Tiz observed as the waitress wrote their orders down and took off. Once she departed, he leaned in closer to Edea. "You came in on that airship?"

Edea nodded. "Yeah," she admitted, keeping her voice down. "I'm with the Knights of the Eternian Sky. We're here looking for a girl who identifies as the Vestal of Wind. Our contacts in Ancheim said was supposed to be en route for the Caldis region. I was asked to come here for any information I could get."

Tiz shook his head. "Nothing," he insisted. "We haven't heard anything about a 'vestal' or anything like that."

"I see," Edea murmured. "I'm sorry for bothering you. And your sheep."

"If you were really sorry," Til murmured, "you'd help us with the sheep today."

"Til, that was rude," Tiz reprimanded.

Edea shook her head. "No, no, he's right," she insisted. "I don't know how much I can do, but I'll try and help you guys today. Alright?"

Tiz glanced between her and Til. "If you're sure," he mused. "Don't you have to report back to your boss?"

"Not entirely eager to get back to that crew," Edea admitted. "You have not known a headache until you've listened to Barras Lehr talk for a second straight."

Tiz and Til exchanged confused looks. "Is... is that considered an achievement in Eternia?" the elder brother asked.

"Talking that long?" Edea prompted. "No. Letting _Barras_ talk that long without hitting him with something? _Yes_."

"Your orders, sirs and madam." The waitress stepped up to the table again, setting their drinks down. "One Acheim style coffee, two orders of milk-and-two-sugars."

After she had left, Til started to raise his drink to his lips. The heat was comforting, and when Edea glanced at him, he looked like he was going to fall asleep again. With a sigh, she pulled the drink gently from his hand and set her own drink into it. "One sip," she insisted. "It'll get you moving."

Til took a sip from the drink and proceeded to run to the washrooms to wash his mouth.

+x+x+x+

Though Edea was not particularly _effective_ at shepherding, per se, having an extra hand did indeed help keep the lambs under control - Tiz and Til being a little out of energy from the start meant that the Eternian's presence was just this side of a blessing.

Their work trailed through the day, and the sun was starting to set when the three of them finished up their work. Par for the course, the two brothers proceeded to lay down on a grassy hill; Edea glanced at them briefly, then shrugged and took a seat next to Til. After a long moment, Tiz drew out a waterskin, taking a long draught from it before handing it to Til.

"What's in there?" Edea asked, noticing how Til seemed to be intent on draining the skin.

The younger brother lowered his drink. "You want some?" he asked, holding it out to Edea. With a shrug, Edea accepted the skin, shaking it lightly - it still seemed to be about half-full - before raising it to her lips.

"It's just a bit of ale," Tiz said idly as the liquid connected with Edea's lips.

Edea proceeded to eject the drink from her mouth so fast it hit one of the nearby sheep.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Tiz insisted. Til was laughing while Edea experienced a brief coughing fit. "It's a Norende blended fruit juice. It's wonder after a long day's work."

The Eternian glared at him briefly before taking a small sip. A brief pause; then she upturned the waterskin, draining it in the span of a second and a half. She sighed in relief after she had finished, handing the skin back to Til before getting to her feet. "Well," she admitted, "I'd better head back to the Sky Knights. They're gonna be waiting on my report."

Tiz nodded. "Alright. Thanks for the help." He and Til got to their feet. "Let us know if you need anything. I'll ask the elders about that vestal you were talking about."

"Thanks," Edea replied.

Til lingered behind as Tiz headed off down the hill, waving to Edea as she took off. "Come by when you have some time!"

Edea chuckled lightly, turning around and walking backwards as she raised a hand in a friendly salute. "I'll think about it," she insisted.

The wind changed in her hair.

The earth vibrated beneath her feet.

That was all it took for her smile to fall, causing her to glance to either side.

Both of the Arrior boys noticed as well, looking around for the cause. A sound not of this world - a resonance that could only be described _necrous_ - emerged from the village, and Edea raised her gaze to the village as a stream of shining white emerged from the center of town. Til spun towards it, stepping back, and Tiz reached for his survival knife as the light began to spread across the earth beneath the village.

Cracks spread between the houses.

Edea swore. "Run," she gasped. Then, screaming at the Arrior brothers; "_RUN!_"

The village began to _fall_.

Tiz spun on his feet, racing towards Til and Edea. The Eternian rushed forward, grabbing Til's arm and pulling him into a sprint. Tiz's feet carried him faster than Til's did, but as the earth rent open, shockwaves tore across the fragments ahead, knocking the three of them to the ground as the earth beneath their feet began to fall.

Edea was at the edge of the falling piece; not even thinking, she drew Ise-no-Kami and drove it into the rock as it was revealed before her.

Somehow, amidst the shaking, Tiz had managed to clamber towards him. His hands clasped onto those of Til and Edea as the earth fell beneath them, that murderous light shining in the abyss below; the lack of grip caused the three of them to strike the earthen wall into which the katana was impaled.

"Move fast!" Edea barked to the boys from Norende. "Human ladder! Start climbing!"

Til nodded, grabbing Tiz's shirt and struggling up his side. As soon as he had the moving room, Tiz used his free hand to push Til up faster as he clambered up Edea's back; he managed to use the flat of Ise-no-Kami's blade as leverage to pull himself onto the open earth. Only once he was clear did Tiz start moving, climbing up Edea's back.

No sooner had he raised his hand to grab the ledge above the katana than the abyss roared, like an explosion had sounded from deep within, shaking the earth more violently than the village's fall. Edea slammed into the wall, her hold on Ise-no-Kami faltering; Tiz himself nearly fell back into the earth, but he managed to grab the katana's handle as his legs hooked around Edea's arms. She scrambled for something to hold onto and grabbed the back of Tiz's boot as he tried to rise.

Til's hand closed on his. "Tiz!" he cried. "Hurry!"

The blade started to slide out of the earth - and Tiz knew, _without_ knowing, that without that extra leverage, Til would never be able to support his weight.

A wince crossed his face.

His hand opened, sliding from Til's grasp, and he released the handle of the weapon as he and Edea plummetted into darkness.

And Til was left at the edge of a great chasm, where the village of Norende had been just moments prior - watching his brother die.

* * *

Draco: I choose to remain silent.


	4. An Empty Temple

Draco: This e is going to be the death of me.

...Holy _shit_, that looks so inappropriate out of context.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Florem Region: An Empty Temple**

"Thank you for your assistance."

The words of gratitude came from the young maiden who now stepped off of a trader's boat bound for Caldisla. The ship's captain only shook his head. "Not a problem," he insisted.

"I'm sorry for making you go out of your way like this," the girl insisted.

A light chuckle from the captain. "It's quite alright, Lady Vestal," he assured her. "Sticking to the shallows like this helps keep the creatures at bay. You've not asked anything of me I wouldn't be doing regardles."

Vestal of Wind Agnès Oblige only bowed politely as the trader took off, sailing for the Caldis region. Agnès had requested the sailor drop her off at the sandy shore just outside the Flor-Cheim Inner Sea, leaving her with a large bag and a small map of the Harena and Florem regions. The acolytes of the temple had been very understanding when Agnès had requested to travel to Florem. The purpose for the journey was obvious - she wished to meet with Olivia, Vestal of Water and dear friend of hers - and the acolytes had promised to continue their prayers to the Wind Crystal while Agnès was gone, awaiting her return eagerly.

She had chosen not to risk her formal vestal attire on the journey itself, instead opting for a somewhat casual white dress with black trim and black sleeves. She had kept her proper vestal wear in her bag, however - the garb was too valuable to leave behind.

"First things first," she told herself, looking at her map. "Go to the temple. Shouldn't be more than a few hours' walk."

+x+x+x+

That time the next day, Agnès approached the Temple of Water.

The trip had been relatively peaceful, bar a few girls in rather revealing garments pestering her about her appearance - they must have been tourists, by Agnès' assumption. Nonetheless, she was exhausted from the walk, and as she approached the temple she was anticipating the entry; air cooled by the Crystal of Water was always a welcome visit for those making a trip through Florem.

She was not disappointed on that count.

No sooner had she stepped inside than an icy _chill_ rushed through her body. A gasp passed through Agnès' lips as she stumbled forward, her bag falling to the floor - it was like walking under a waterfall, so great was the difference in temperature. After a moment catching her breath in the chill air, she raised her gaze, looking around - her eyes had yet to adjust to the twilight of the temple, but no crystal temple should be this utterly _silent_ at noon.

"Hello?" she called. The call echoed through the hall. "Anyone?" Slowly, she started to step forward as her eyes began to adapt. Despite the time it had been since Agnès had visited the Temple of Water, it was known that all four crystal temples shared the same layout and design, so she turned to advance towards the study, astonished at the silence that permeated the air around her.

Her voice was wrought with worry as she called out again. "Olivia?" The words again bounced off the silence. "Are you here? Is _anyone_ here?"

She arrived at the study - and a sight most horrifying caught her eyes.

_Dust._

The shelves, the table, personal relics, crystal scriptures - everything was enveloped in a thick layer of dust. The wood was faded, the paper had started to unfurl. The stained glass windows had been washed out, leaving only the pattern of the framing upon the clear surface. Nothing had been touched - nothing had been so much as observed.

Not only was no one here - no one had _been_ here. Not in years.

Agnès set a hand on her mouth. "Oh, _kaze_," she gasped. "What... what has happened here?"

Horrified, she proceeded to the dining area, only to find the same problem there. Age-thinned plates and stained silver cutlery lay set in preparation for the next meal, all imprisoned in a layer of dust. To the reliquary - and to the same horrific sight. Crystalist relics lay in containments wrapped with dust, and garments of all purpose hung aged in untouched wardrobes.

"What has become of this place?" Agnès murmured.

A thought that struck horror into her mind: _What has become of the crystal?_

In a panic, she rushed from the reliquary, charging towards the crystal altar. Dust was left in clouds below her feet as she dashed through, stumbling up the steps when her speed made the abrupt ascension somewhat difficult.

The Water Crystal stood there - its glow ever so slowly waning as she watched.

"No," Agnès gasped, her breath heavy. "No..."

She fell to her knees, her pulse racing, her mind throbbing. _How...? What has happened here?_ Slowly, she bowed her head, clasping her hands before her - knowing this was not her boon, the crystal awaited not her prayers, yet feeling that she must do _something_ for the fading light - knowing she ought adorn formal garb before taking any such action, yet daring not to step away, for it was better the crystal receive a weakened prayer than one delayed by hesitation.

A long moment passed as she knelt there, her body still.

A sound not of this world - a sound that could only be described as _necrous_.

Agnès raised her gaze, horrified. Tendrils of black smoke emerged as though from nowhere, wrapping around the crystal as its shine intensified in the contrast - like a quiet child screaming in fear when grasped by a stranger. She rose to her feet, horrified as the darkness began to expand, flooding the altar and imprisoning what light the crystal could still provide - and horrified, she reached forward, attempting to grasp the crystal, that her touch might give it the strength it needed.

A scream came from around her: _Don't! There's no chance!__  
_

The call made her draw her hand away, turning away from the crystal and fleeing as the shadows flooded the altar - and Agnès only just crossed the arch dividing the altar from the rest of the temple before the darkness overflowed.

+x+x+x+

"Waken... please, waken..."

Agnès's vision was blurred as she opened her eyes, glancing around her. The area around her was lit by sun filtering through stained glass. A figure clad in an acolyte's habit knelt at her side, and Agnès rose to a sitting position, closing her eyes and lowering her head weakly to clear her thoughts. "What a nightmare..."

"You are Lady Agnès, of Harena?"

The question caused Agnès to turn to her, confused; then to gaze around her, taking in the area she presently rested in. Walls covered in stained glass, opposite an open wall lined with stone columns, giving a beautiful view of Florem's landscape.

_That was no nightmare._

"What... what is this?" she asked of the acolyte. "Where am I?"

"A hidden village, to the west of the Water Temple," the acolyte replied. "A safe haven for Crystalist faithful. Possibly our last refuge..."

"Last...?" Agnès gasped. With horror in her voice, she asked, "What is going on? What has been happening?"

The acolyte only shook her head. "I should not be the one to tell you," she insisted, getting to her feet. "Come with me, please."

Agnès stumbled to her feet, following the acolyte down what appeared to be a hallway. "How have I come here?" she asked.

"You arrived at the entrance to the Twilight Ruins that hide this village from prying eyes," the acolyte explained. "Your garments were tainted by darkness, and your bag nearly split open. We were fortunate to have found you before the monsters did.

"Monsters?" Agnès asked.

The acolyte nodded. "The creatures' frequency increased without warning yesterday," she explained. "They have come far nearer to the most travelled of routes than they ever ought be. None can venture outside the city without experiencing an attack."

Hearing that analysis brought the wind vestal to lower her gaze. "It cannot be..."

"Agnès...?!"

Her name spoken in little more than a loud whisper brought Agnès to raise her gaze to see a much-welcome face. Her hair the colour of ocean depths, her garments the colour of running river, her eyes like reflected sky - a friend Agnès had not seen in ages.

Her breath fled from her lungs. "Olivia?" she gasped. Then, upon realizing she could not be dreaming; "_Olivia!_"

"Agnès!" The water vestal rushed towards her friend, meeting her halfway in a sisterly embrace. Agnès didn't hesitate to let loose the tears that she had been holding back since she had seen the Temple of Water, now turned to tears of joy - a reunion with Olivia was so far beyond what she could possibly have hoped after seeing those rooms abandoned.

"I was so worried," the wind vestal sobbed "I didn't know where you were... if you were still alive... the temple was utterly abandoned. What... what has _happened_?"_  
_

Olivia shook her head, still holding Agnès close. "So many things," she murmured. "So many things I wish not to remember. But... you deserve to know."

She led Agnès to a pair of small wooden seats. Agnès sat down, wiping the tears softly from her eyes. "What has happened?" she asked again. "The Temple of Water had been untouched for ages. The crystal untended. What...?"

"Florem has changed, Agnès," Olivia informed her. "The day after you and I became vestals in full, five years ago, I went to Florem to check on an acolyte who had been hurt by a few poorly-balanced scriptures. I was ambushed on my way there by a troop of female soldiers, led by a woman whose dress was covered in spears."

"The flag they flew was a rose... dripping with blood."

Agnès bit her lip nervously. "I know not what that emblem stands for," she insisted, "but it cannot mean good for this land."

Olivia shook her head. "The woman in spears introduced herself as Einheria Venus of the Eternian Forces," she replied. "She was to take me into custody, by orders of her commanding officer. When I refused, she sent the women she had with her after me. I managed to escape to the temple and told everyone to flee. I've tried hiding, but they've found me everywhere I might go - save here. This is our last haven. I don't know what would happen if we were found here. And with the increase in monsters... we can't leave this village."

"Monsters..." Agnès scoffed at herself. "The darkness must be responsible for this."

"Darkness?" Olivia asked. "What do you mean?"

Agnès raised her gaze to Olivia again. "The crystal," Agnès replied. "When I realized the temple had been abandoned, I went to see the Water Crystal. It's light... Olivia, it was faded. I wanted to do something, but no sooner had I fallen to my knees and begun to muster the courage for prayer than black shadows enveloped the Altar of Water. The acolyte who brought me here told me I had arrived at the Twilight Ruins, but my memory of the events end when I left the altar. The darkness must have struck me. I astonish even myself that I am still alive."

Olivia set a hand on her heart. "No," she murmured. "I... My neglect of the crystal must have brought this darkness to it."

"Oh, spare me your pathetic self-blaming angst."

The voice that came from nowhere - writhing with far too much content for the child's tones that carried it - prompted both vestals to turn as a figure stepped- no, _floated_ out from behind a nearby pillar. A child in red, with her hair kept in two massive tails adorned in varying hues of red and white. Trailing from her lower back was a red figure that seemed to be a fox's tail, moving continuously, and in her hand was a small casting rod tipped with a three-pronged jester's cap.

"I mean, we're gonna kill you anyway, so..."

"Who-?!" Agnès stepped back, holding one arm before her. "Who are you?"

Olivia got to her feet, taking a stance similar to Agnès'. "Are you with the ones who fly bloody rose?"

The little girl looked amused at that. "The Legion? Ha! Yeah, right. That old man and the sisters are nothing to me. I'm just here to deal with our _vestal_ problem. And look - here you both are."

She swept her casting rod back.

"Stop resisting, will you?"

Agnès' instincts screamed at her now to _move_ - yet Olivia seemed determined to stand her ground as the girl swept her staff forwards. Screaming her friend's name, the wind vestal leapt forward as rings of magic flared up around their assailant.

The magic ripped up around her body, and she screamed as it tore through her, striking her with icy cold and flaming hot and a murderous shock all at once, her voice piercing the air that it might be heard from Ancheim.

When it faded, her garments were torn, her skin was charred - and her body fell limp, back into Olivia's as she realized what had just happened.

"Agnès?" Olivia gasped, horrified. "No... _Agnès!_" She fell to a kneel with the wind vestal in her arms, her gaze racing over her friend's ruined body. "It was me... that was meant for _me!_"

The girl scoffed between her teeth. "It was _meant_ for the _both_ of you," she snapped. "How irritating."

"Oh, bother..."

A bored voice carrying tones only of mild irritation caused the two vestals to turn to see a man emerging from the next pillar. He wore a white coat of medicine or science, with studious half-circle glasses. In his hand was a long staff such as once would balance medical patients with, yet it seemed to spark with magic of healing - in great contrast to the little girl's destructive arcana.

"Victoria," he said to the child, "recall that our orders were to bring the vestals back _alive_. I fear you've overdone it."

"Sorry, Victor," the child Victoria replied, "but you know how much I detest holding back." She glanced at Agnès' broken form and added, "Besides, you're a healer. If you can run the White Magic center, a little burn like this won't be anything of difficulty."

"A little-! _She's dying, you monster!"_ Olivia screamed.  


The man in the lab coat, Victor, turned to her with a sudden fury in his eyes. "I beg pardon?" he asked, his voice still level, yet underlined with rage. His staff parted from his hand, hovering at her side as he swept his arms to either side and lowered them again. "What did you call her?"

"You heard her, Victor," Victoria murmured. Then, to Olivia; "I'm gonna make you pay for that, vestal."

Magic began to spark around her casting rod.

Then something _far_ more malevolent began to spark around _her_.

"I'll show you... what it's like... to be... dying!" Her body was tremoring, and she seemed to be forcing her words out. Without warning, whatever had been keeping her aloft faltered, and she tumbled to the ground, her body wracking with pain; her casting rod fell to the ground, and she set both hands on her head, crying out in pain.

Victor turned to her suddenly, his staff ceasing its levitations and falling to the ground. "Victoria?" His voice was suddenly one of worry; then of horror. "Victoria!"

"Vic...tor..." She gasped. "I... I can't... breathe..."

Olivia watched as Victor's gaze hit the ground, a thick curse passing through his lips. "Damn that DeRosa for slowing us down!" he protested. "He always does this!" He knelt down at Victoria's side, picking her up in his arms and leaving the casting tools where they had fallen before turning to Olivia. "I fear we must adjourn!" he called. "My apologies!"

He turned away, taking two steps and leaping through the gap between pillars. Magic emerged around him, flaring brightly - when it faded, he was already gone.

Agnès' weak cough brought Olivia's attention back to the wind vestal in her arms. "Agnès!" she cried. "No... why...?" She tried her best not to cry. "Why would you do that? Agnès, _why!?_"

"You..." A wince crossed Agnès' face as she gasped in pain; but it slowly gave way to a weak smile. "You would have... done the same... with a moment's notice," she breathed. "You were always... the image that... I worked towards..."

"Agnès, _no_," Olivia gasped. "No, please! We've been so long apart, I can't let you go like this! _Please! You can't go!"_

The wind vestal looked up to Olivia's face. "I'm sorry," she gasped. "As you said... it's been so long..." Slowly, her hand reached up, setting itself on Olivia's face. "You've always... been waiting for me... to catch up to you... Please... Care for the Wind Crystal... in my stead..."

Olivia gasped in horror, shaking her head. "I can't," she gasped. "I need you... You're the thing that keeps me going. Someone who needs my footsteps to follow! I _can't do this_ on my own! I need someone to guide!"

"Someone... to guide..." Agnès gasped, laying her head against Olivia's arm; and a grim chuckle passed through her lips as she closed her eyes.

"Un...acceptable."

Then her hand that lay on Olivia's face fell, tumbling to her own chest - and Olivia knew, not wanting to believe, that it would never move again."

"Agnès...!"

Olivia winced, tears flowing from her eyes and falling onto her friend's face,

"You can't," she gasped. "You can't do this to me! You_ can't!_"

The words echoed empty through the hall, unanswered.

And the water vestal raised her gaze to the heavens, a tortured scream tearing between her lips.

* * *

Draco: YOU DID THIS TO ME SQUARE ENIX YOU DID THIS _**YOU DID**** THIS.**_


	5. Musings of a Dark Knight

Draco: I'm not sure why, but something about the Council of Six reminds me of Organization XIII.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Eternia Region: Musings of a Dark Knight**

His armoured footsteps tapped against the floor of the lift as it slowly made its way to the Chamber of Six. His blade hung at his hip, sheathed after a sparring match with the swordmaster. A kind farewell, one might consider it - Master Kamiizumi has always preferred to speak with his sword, and the _Yagyu_ was on its way back to Eisenberg to assist the Black Blades. Kamiizumi was fortunate to have been granted the brief leave he had to assist Edea with her departure alongside the Knights of the Eternian Sky - the least he could do was give the swordmaster a little more excitement before he departed.

He had regretted that decision the moment Kamiizumi's weapon had connected with his sword - the dark blade was in pieces in its sheath.

The lift came to a stop, and he stepped forward. The Grand Marshal sat on one of six thrones in the Chamber, awaiting his arrival; no sooner had he stepped up and taken place on his own throne than the Grand Marshal spoke.

"Alternis."

The dark knight bowed his head. "Lord Marshal."

The templar glanced at the other empty thrones. "Have you heard from Victor and Victoria, of late?"

Alternis winced under his helmet at the thought of Victoria. "No, Lord Marshal," he replied. "I spoke with Victor four days ago about the medicinal supplies he had sent with the Sky Knights to Caldisla. I have not heard from him or Victoria since."

The Grand Marshal lowered his head. "I see..." He made no pretence at ignorance of Alternis' reasons for the inquiry - indeed, he had intended to ask that question when he found himself unable to reach Victor. "And what was his answer?"

"Lord Marshal!"

The soldier's call prompted Alternis to turn to see one of the duchy guards racing up the steps. The blue sash indicated he was with the airship traffic control. "An airship is approaching Eternian airspace from Florem at high velocity! Attempts to make contact have met no response!"

_Florem... That's Bloodrose Legion territory_. "The _Bloody Violet_?" he asked - DeRosa's personal airship, delegated for use with the Bloodrose Legion as a whole.

"We have been unable to identify the airship or its pilot," the guard replied.

Alternis got to his feet, bowing respectfully to the Grand Marshal. "I'll see what I can do, Lord Marshal," he told the templar.

"Do not hesitate to intercept them if they intend to attack the duchy," the Grand Marshal insisted.

"Of course," he said firmly, taking off down the steps after the guard. "How does the _Dark Knight_ stand?" he asked of the guard.

"No supplies, sir," the guard replied, "but it is prepared for takeoff, and ammunition is at 50% capacity."

Alternis sighed. _That's gonna have to do._

+x+x+x+

He arrived at the airship dock in the next fifteen seconds.

The _Dark Knight_ was moving in under a minute, and Alternis quickly pulled it away from its berth atop Central Command, bringing it around the structure to face the skies to Florem. From his position at the helm, he kept his eyes moving. "Come on," he muttered, "give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at..."

It didn't take long before he saw it - an airship the colour of freshly-fallen snow, soaring into Eternian airspace at unsafe speeds. Emblazoned across the side with a two-pronged jester's cap - the emblem on the surface of the arcanist's asterisk - and Alternis' swore when he realized what this ship was: the _Grand Healer_, Victor's personal airship. The paint job was proof enough of the spiritmaster's devotion to Victoria - Alternis had no doubts that the witch would be aboard as well.

Eternian airships all shared a radio feed, for ease of access; and now Alternis heard the air traffic control over his own radio. _"Grand Healer, you do not have permission to approach. Your travelling speed is unsafe for this proximity. Please reroute and await traffic direction. Grand Healer- Damn it, he's not responding. Dark Knight, you're in his flight path!"_

"Hell, I know!" Alternis shouted, forcing his airship earthward as the _Grand Healer_ kept soaring. The Dark Knight was astonished when Victor's airship angled itself to the left ever so slightly. The momentum kept it going towards Central Command, but it moved just enough; to Alternis' amazement, the _Grand Healer_ only just avoided the Grand Marshal's airship, the _Dark Cleric_, circled Central Command twice - **facing the structure the entire time **- and parked itself in the berth where the _Dark Knight_ had been just moments prior.

Alternis quickly brought the _Dark Knight_ up to the _Grand Healer_'s usual berth and docked, leaving the ship as soon as it was close enough. He found Victor on his way to the central lift, with a small figure in his arms.

The dark knight had no chance to so much as speak before Victor pushed him out of the way unhesitatingly, stepped into the elevator, and threw the switch with his foot.

+x+x+x+

Alternis went to his room later that day, pulling out his journal - a small black book emblazoned with a silver _D_ on the cover. With stylo in hand, he marked down the date before proceeding to write.

_10/10_

_Amidst a conversation with the grand marshal, we received word that an airship was approaching Eternian airspace._

_Its speed was dangerous, and any attempts to contact it were met with failure._

_The Lord Marshal bid me take the Dark Knight and intercept the ship if it intended to attack Eternia._

_No sooner had I pulled away from the berth than I saw the galleon Grand Healer crossing the highlands._

_The Grand Healer is Victor's personal airship. Victoria will be aboard as well, no doubt._

_Traffic control directives were ignored entirely as the ship docked in my berth atop Central Command._

_Jut goes to show what kind of regard they have for the rule of Eternian law._

_Any efforts I made to question their intentions were ignored as Victor marched past me to the central elevator, Victoria held in his arms._

_It seems he made straight for the white magic circulation hub on the ground level._

_I found the guards standing watch along the way bleeding and unconscious._

_What madness is this?_

_The white magic circulation hub stands at the east of the first floor of Central Command. Lined floor-to-ceiling with odd machinery, it has always made me uncomfortable._

_I found Victoria floating in a chamber of fluids that resembled a great mechanical heart. Victor stood nearby, staring at monitors and muttering._

_"The lecture can wait."_

_He spoke without turning to face me._

_"My report as well. Victoria... try to bear it."_

_He opened some valve, and the color of the fluid deepened..._

_I took it upon myself to report Victor's return to the grand marshal._

_I summoned Victor's lieutenant, and got the details from him._

With a sigh, Alternis closed the journal and set it on his nightstand before reaching for the lower back of his armour. His hands found a small crystalline figure there, and carefully he set his fingertips upon the flat of it. A flash of light wrapped his body; when it faded, he stood there in thin black garments, drawing from behind him the asterisk of the Dark Knight.

"There's got to be an easier way to store these things," he murmured to himself. Most of the other Eternian asterisk holders kept their stones on belts or in bags, for ease of access - which meant that it would be easy for them to be lost when they were defeated. A few members of the Black Blades kept theirs in layers of clothing - indeed, Alternis had heard an amusing rumor about Ninja Konoe Kikyo hiding hers somewhere that no man of dignity would go after willingly.

But the Council of Six knew that the asterisks were something to keep _protected_. Victor and Victoria kept theirs hidden in their (rather plentiful) hair, and anyone who got _that_ close to either of those two had bigger things to worry about than their stones. The Grand Marshal had his in the hilt of his great blade; Alternis knew from experience that Braev Lee's defenses were impregnable with or without the title of templar. And Alternis? He had taken advantage of the garments' materialization when drawing power from an asterisk - his was imprisoned in the back of his armour, that only he might ever find it - and only if he was looking. The stone could not be removed from the armour without removing the armour itself.

Well, perhaps a sufficiently deep crack down the _spine_ of the armour...

He now held the stone before him, looking over it curiously, as he had a tendency to do when idle. The stone was segmented, ever so slightly - a black, conical figure pointed six, joined to a golden base marked with the emblem - in this case, a helm of darkness. Angling the stone just to one side, however, revealed the simplistic, six-pointed star that gave the stones their name - only facing it head-on could you tell what an asterisk was meant to hold.

Alternis only pocketed the stone, getting to his feet and approaching a small mirror. The biggest problem with any asterisk that gave one a helmet was immediate helmet _hair_: the dark knight had enough trouble seeing straight around Victor and Victoria without his hair getting in his way. His dark hair nearly blended into his dark garments unless he was particularly careful about it.

He started drawing his hair back with his fingers until he saw something that didn't belong in that darkness; a minute, almost unnoticeable streak of icy white. Curious, he reached for it and drew on it, only to find it unwilling to move. With a sigh, he realized what had been happening to him the past few days. Edea's departure among the Knights of the Eternian Sky had been worrying him to his core, not from a lack of strength - indeed, her strength was the biggest reason she was with them at such a young age - but from a lack of _control_. None of the Sky Knights were very kind to the slightest rebuttal, and Edea had always been quick to anger.

He had heard stories about people whose hair had gone white from worry, but never had he believed them until now.

* * *

Draco: I have _so_ many literation elements screaming around in my mind, so it sucks that I can't _safely_ do a literation of Bravely Default. Several minor absurdities seem to have been designed purely as fanfic fuel. Point in question: how the _flying united country of kings_ did Edea not recognize Alternis' face? Okay, yeah, he got taken in by Braev at a young age, and Final Fantasy IV shows that Dark Knight armour can be a 24-7 thing, but come _on_, they're childhood lovebirds! I refuse to believe he's never taken the helmet off, at _least.  
_

The _Bloody Violet_ and _Dark Cleric_ are names I came up with, but the _Yagyu_, _Grand Healer_, and _Dark Knight_ were named in Alternis' copy of D's Journal. Any other necessary airships will be named at a later date.


	6. On The Precipice Of Despair

Draco: Sorry if you got the update notice twice on the previous chapter. I decidedly _didn't,_ I thought something was acting up on the system. In hindsight, it might just be my email acting up...

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: On The Precipice of Despair**

The sound of something being set into water and drawn out sounded in Til's ears as he started to wake. Slowly, he opened his eyes, finding himself gazing at an unfamiliar roof, lying on an unfamiliar bed. Slowly, he set his hands on the bed, bringing himself to his feet.

"Finally awake, are you? You've been out a full week."

Til turned to see a figure in simple armour of light metal. In his hands was a small washcloth, and next to the bed he was lying in was a bowl of water.

"I serve as Captain of the Caldislan guard," the man in armour replied. "My name is Owen. Can you tell me yours?"

"I-I... I'm Til," the boy said slowly. "Til Arrior."

Owen nodded. "You were found unconscious, in the ravine near Norende," he explained. A pause. "I take it that was your home? Norende?" When Til nodded faintly, Owen set the cloth down. "I must ask you to stay calm."

"What happened?" Til asked.

The captain sighed, as though he didn't want to say.

"Your village is gone."

The words were hesitant, trying to be comforting, but they struck with force all the same. "A great chasm opened in the earth, and... all of Norende was swallowed up in darkness. You were spared, but the others..."

Til's gaze fell to the bed. He remembered now - the Eternia girl, Edea, forming a human ladder with Tiz so he could climb up. Til trying to give his bother a little more leverage. Then the sword that Edea had stuck in the rock sliding out... and Tiz letting go.

"Pray, do not think on it too much now," Owen insisted. "You need your rest." He turned away. "There will be time for mourning later."

He picked up the bowl and cloth and started down the stairs to the entranceway - where the innkeep was waiting.

"Little fella's back with us, then?" he prompted.

"Aye," Owen admitted, "and all alone in the world." He set the bowl down, then the cloth inside it. "And past that solitude, what? Guilt at surviving? Pitiable lad..." He shook his head. "The king will be expecting my report. Keep watch on him awhile, Father."

The innkeep nodded, and Owen departed from the inn.

+x+x+x+

Til was up by noon that day, leaving the inn with directions to the castle and a reminder to be on his best behaviour when he got there. Caldisla was a much busier place than Til was used to, but he managed to get to his destination.

The king was a big man, on a big throne. Til stepped inside, bowing politely as he approached the throne; it seemed as though the king had been waiting for him.

"Ah, the Norende boy," His Majesty mused. "Til, was it? Owen spoke of you." His gaze fell weakly. "I offer my deepest regrets for your loss. I cannot ease your pain - but, perhaps time may. Stay and rest as long as you need."

Til shook his head slowly. "Thank you, Your Majesty," he said politely, "but... I'm going to leave for the village as soon as I can."

The king looked surprised. "Admirable lad," he praised. "But danger hounds the road to Norende. Beasts of all stripe have been drawn to that gaping maw in the earth. The ravine is overrun with monsters."

"Someone might still have survived!" Til insisted. "I need to go check! They might be looking for help!"

A sigh from the king. "Very well," he replied. "Though it shames me to send you off alone. I'd lend a portion of my guard, but these cursed Knights of the Eternian Sky have kept my kingdom at cannon-point since the chasm opened."

"I can do it myself," Til insisted. "Thanks, Your Highness."

"Do be careful, child," the King insisted. "And know that when you return, there will be a place for you here."

Til started to leave, but a call of "Wait!" from Owen prompted him to turn around. The captain stepped forward and knelt in front of Til, handing him a small bag. "It's dangerous to take off unprepared," he insisted. "Get some proper gear before you go. There's about a thousand pg in here. It should get you equipment to make it to Norende and back."

"Thank you, Owen." With that Til turned off, leaving the castle with determination.

+x+x+x+

Til arrived at the entrance to Norende Ravine as the sun began to set that day.

The money Owen had given him was enough to get him plenty of equipment - a runed cloth chestplate that was just slightly to big for him, but would serve to help mitigate blows; a leather cap that would keep his head safe from any small arms; a pair of heavy bronze gloves to protect his hands; and buckler that would be little more than ornamentation for any of the Caldislan guards, but was a perfect-sized shield for him.

He also had a fighting dagger purchased from the weapons shop, and a broadsword was strapped to his back as an emergency weapon. Til couldn't imagine using the sword, however; it was so large it dragged on the ground as he walked, and he had only really accepted it at the armourer's insistence (admittedly, it was doing wonders for his leg strength). What remained of Owen's money, he had used to buy Potions, Antidotes, and a Teleport Stone so he could get out of there fast if he needed to.

Goblins had run him to him every few minutes, the whole way there, and Til knew that there would only be more inside. Thinking for a moment, he slipped the knife under his belt and unclasped the sword from his back. It stuck in the ground for a moment, but the Norende boy quickly turned around, grabbed the handle, and tried to lift it. Now he _knew_ getting this thing was a bad idea - he couldn't even get the sword off the ground. He tried to swing it, but it just dragged sideways along the ground.

A fighting cry from behind him caused him to turn to see a Goblin rushing him from inside the cave. With a shout, he grabbed the sword backwards in both hands and spun his whole body; the sword lifted off the ground as he moved, and the Goblin had only had time to see the blade coming towards it before the cut sent it flying back into the ravine, rolling along the earth and plummetting into the gap.

Til came to a stop when he realized what had happened. "That worked," he mused.

+x+x+x+

It didn't take long for him to get through the Norende Ravine. It looked like a rockslide had occurred, for several large boulders had tumbled near the entrance. Standing near the boulders was a figure in green, with a wide-brimmed hat and a collar that covered his mouth. Til nervously gripped his sword, but the man only turned to him idly.

"You came," he mused.

"Who are you?" Til asked.

"Just an adventurer," the man replied. "You come to see the chasm?"

Til lowered his gaze. "The chasm...!" He turned and took off, his sword carving a trail behind him as he rushed out of the ravine.

And onto the cliff face overlooking a massive hole where Norende Village had been.

It was a thing of nightmares. The earth warped towards the hole, within which no end could be seen. Massive fragments of metal could be seen along the edges of the hole, and the jagged edges were covered with fragments of _bloody wool_.

"No..." Til released his weapon, the sword falling to the ground as he stumbled forward. "No..."_  
_

The strength left his body, and he fell to his knees. The earth came up to meet him, and his hands flew forward to stop him as tears welled up in his eyes.

"**_NOOOOOO!_**"

+x+x+x+

Til refused to sleep that night. He stayed at the chasm, searching through the woods that ringed Norende, looking for something, _anything_ that might show there was someone else _alive_. He was desperate for a sign.

No such sign showed itself.

He stumbled back to where his sword lay when dawn rose - certain, now, that he alone had survived.

"Why...?" he murmured. Overcome with sadness, he curled into a fetal position, set his eyes against his arms, and let the tears flow.

The roar of an airship sounded above him, and his gaze shot up as he saw a familiar figure fly past him - the bronze hull of the airship that Edea said she had come on, the _Eschalot_. Horrified that they would blame him for Edea's death, he grabbed the fallen sword, rushing back into the ravine.

* * *

Draco: I felt kind of cheap taking much of Owen and the king's dialogue straight from the game before I realized that the difference between Tiz and Til is a matter of _circumstance_; the conversation would go the exact same way regardless. Couldn't resist making a few changes, though - that's what I do.


	7. Get Me Out Of Here

Draco: Ziusudra's Sin, I _hate_ Florem. Well, I hate _Bloodrose_ Florem, anyway.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Florem Region: Get Me Out Of Here**

Olivia stepped into Florem to images that could have come from her nightmares.

The entire city was lit up with a neon glow. The floors were waxed to the point of reflecting whatever might rest above them. Hair was coloured in tones that nature could not possibly bring about, faces were obscured by masks of makeup, and many of the girls she could see around the city showed more skin than the average Kobold. The armoury display window was lined with dresses and swimwear, the trader was advertising jewellery, and the floral fountain... the water flowing from it was _pink_.

"What in the world...?" Slowly, Olivia started through the city, looking around for any remnant of the Florem she remembered.

"Look at this!" The cheerful cry caused her to turn to see two girls sitting on a fence near the inn. One of them was holding a small box for cosmetics. "I finally found someone who was selling petalhue! I haven't got two coins to rub together, but come _on_! Worth it!"

"Lucky bitch!" her friend protested. "That merchant had so much business yesterday she had to start a line! It ended at the Mount Fragmentum entrance!"

Confused, Olivia stepped forward. "Mount Fragmentum?" she asked politely, nervous about getting into this conversation. "You weren't attacked while you waited?"

Both of the girls turned to Olivia, expressions of disgust rising on their faces. "Attacked?" the girl with the 'petalhue' asked. "The guys who come to Florem aren't stupid enough to hurt us."

"No, not men," Olivia insisted. "Monsters. They've been showing up more often lately. If there was a line to Mount Fragmentum, I'm astonished no one was hurt."

"So _that_'s what she was asking back!" the girl observed, exchanging glances with her friend.

"I thought it was going to blow up if I wore it," the friend admitted. Then, turning to Olivia, "Don't worry about that, street," she insisted. "There was a girl going down the line handing out charm bracelets. She was dressed in animal furs, but she kept saying 'Wear Frosti. Frosti protect you from monsters.' Now it makes sense."

Olivia blinked in confusion. "What?"

The envious girl reached into her pocket, drawing out a small bracelet. Dangling from it was a charm designed like a blue sprite-like monster - a Frosti, a creature of white magic found only in the Eternian hinterland, if Olivia remembered her bestiary correctly. "These bracelets," she elaborated. "They must have been enchanted to ward off monsters. The merchant was asking them back from everyone who bought the dye - probably so the next set of customers wouldn't get hurt either. I had just arrived at the front when she told me she was sold out." A chuckle as she turned back to her friend. "Poor sucker. She didn't ask for the bracelet back."

"Lucky bitch!" the girl with the dye screeched. "That's an Eternian limited edition Frosti band! You got away with one of those that stops monsters!"

"No, no," Olivia elaborated. "What did you call me?"

The girls turned back to her, now thoroughly irritated. "_Street,_" the girl with the bracelet repeated, her tone a lot harsher this time. "Now, be a good little rat, and screw off."

Olivia stepped away, turning towards the fountain and setting her hands on the railing. The water's colour seemed to be drawn to the center of the fountain, as the liquid was clear across the base of the fountain. She looked over the reflection of her face, wondering if it had been dirtied on her trip here - with little more than a small survival knife to protect her, she wouldn't entirely be surprised - but no, her face was clear. Her garments, though bearing slight tears on the hem from unexpected movement, were otherwise unsullied.

A splash prompted her to turn - and got her a face full of water for her troubles.

A high-pitched gasp passed through her lips - which quickly transitioned into a coughing fit when she got some water in her mouth. This was the pink stuff - whatever colourant had been added to the liquid was clearly not meant for human consumption. The liquid seeped into her clothing, sending a chill across her body, and she shuddered weakly, grabbing the railing again for support. "Cold... cold...!"

"Sor_ry_." The none-too-sorry voice caused Olivia to raise her gaze to see a girl standing there, perched on the railing, legs crossed ever so carefully that nothing was hidden. Her garments were little more than a single joined cloth, cut at angles that might only just maintain her modesty, and suspended only by strings that circled her back; her hair was coloured like cherry blossoms that had been left to sun's wrath, clipped with a figure that looked like a fairy's wing; and her face was one of utmost self-authority.

Olivia's attention seemed to be the cue she was waiting to continue. "Your clothes were so bland I thought they had got dirty. Looks like I was wrong." She chuckled as she glanced over Olivia's garments. "On the bright side, they're bright enough that you ought to get a little more attention now."

"A-attention?" Olivia shuddered, glancing down at herself - and horrified to see that her garments had been soaked to translucence. With a startled gasp she crossed one arm over her chest as the girl who had attacked her took off laughing. _What... what has become of Florem while I have been gone? What have I **done**, leaving this city?_

She shook her head, horrified. _I must go to see the Matriarch. I must tell her what happened to Agnès. I... I..._ "Ah... Ah... A_CHOO!_" The rocketing sneeze sounded across the plaza - and when Olivia could see straight, she was worried to find a man in red approaching her - his attention directed by the sound and hooked by the sight.

_I must get out of these clothes..._

+x+x+x+

"Lady Matriarch? There's someone here to see you."

Her attendant's call prompted the Matriarch to look up from her work. What few Crystalists remained in Florem were doing what they could to find other willing followers of the faith, and she had been looking over letters - reports from her allies. With a sigh, she set the letters down and called, "Bring her in."

The assistant stepped in, moving to the side to reveal a young woman who looked mortified. Her garments were wet, nearly transparent and clinging to her body. Her hair seemed to have been blue, but it had been stained by the horrid pink water that ran through Florem's central fountain. Her skin seemed to be untouched by ornamentation, though the water running down it didn't help ease the Matriarch's fears.

"Oh, my word, child!" she cried. Crystalist or corrupted, she could not be sure; yet the Matriarch's motherly instincts kicked in, and she stepped forward, setting one arm over the girl's shoulder. "I'm sorry, my dear, but I must insist you change out of those garments at once. You'll get sick at this rate!"

"Thank you, Lady Matriarch..."

The formal greeting stopped the Matriarch in her tracks. Confused, she turned to the girl, looking over her once more. Brief moment's passed; then she drew her arm away, kneeling before her to look her head-on, searching past the stains from the fountain water.

"...Olivia?"

For a moment, she seemed concerned by the confusion present in the inquiry; then a smile rose on her face, and she closed her eyes, bowing her head.

"In this condition," she admitted, "I must look like any one of those pretentious consumers down in the plaza."

+x+x+x+

"Where have you been these past years, child?"

Olivia, now wrapped in a blanket after a warm bath, only shook her head. "On the run," she replied. "The legion that flies the bloody rose - have you seen them?"

The Matriarch only shook her head. "No," she replied. "I have never heard of them."

"They have been hunting me. Nearly since the day Agnès and I became vestals in full. I've been hiding from them. Me, and the acolytes from the temple. They've found us everywhere, except the village beyond Twilight Ruins. We'd been staying there in refuge... until just yesterday."

"What happened?" the Matriarch asked.

"Agnès," Olivia forced out. "She came to the ruins with her clothes stained by darkness. She had gone to the Temple of Water, looking for me. No sooner had she arrived at the crystal altar than a horrific darkness shrouded the crystal. My neglect of the Water Crystal had forced it to shadows. I wish only that I had not been so intent on hiding that I had remembered the Crystal..."

The Matriarch shook her head. "A crystal cannot be aided if its vestal is fallen," she insisted. "You needn't blame yourself, child." She lowered her gaze. "But... tell me. What of Agnès?"

"The darkness had struck her. She had come to the ruins subconsciously." This much was Agnès' own observation; Olivia had to struggle before she could tell the Matriarch her own conclusions. "Someone must have followed her while she could not act knowingly. When she arrived, I had only time to greet her before they showed themselves - a girl whose appearance betrayed her sadism, and a man in a coat of medicine. The girl had access to magic that should not exist.

"...Agnès drew it to herself, that I might be unharmed."

A cry muffled only by the Matriarch's own hands passed from her lips. "No...!"

"Yes..." Olivia murmured. Tears were starting to well in her eyes. "The girl would have struck me the same - but some illness took hold of her body. The man took her in his arms and fled to heal her. And I was left with Agnès... dying in my arms..."

She could not continue; she set her face against the blanket that wrapped her figure and let flow the tears come from the memory.

A long moment passed, the two of them mourning the wind vestal's death.

"When I began... to leave the village... I saw the acolytes... dead against the walls," Olivia continued. "The girl - her escort called her Victoria - she must have slain them with her magic. They could have been sleeping - but there was no pulse... no breath..." She shook her head. "The monsters have been more frequent since the darkness struck. Then I came here... and this land... has changed..." She raised her gaze to the Matriarch. "What happened, Lady Matriarch?" she asked. "What has become of this land?"

A weak shake of the Matriarch's head. "_Be sister to the flowers, woods, and waters, pure of mind and body_," she recited. "Those were Florem's ways... But ever so long ago. Now the girls war over who can ornament herself the loudest. Their days are spent with their gaze in mirrors, and nature's beauty lost to them. Florem's lands have turned to wastes by their neglect. Her beauty is all but lost."

"How?" Olivia sobbed. "What happened?"

"At some point, there emerged the notion that prosperity was limited only to the most beautiful," the Matriarch replied. "And in their attempts to claim the title of most beautiful, they have all but hidden the beauty they had..."

Olivia could not believe her ears. "Lady Matriarch, this land's laws are guided by your hand. Did you notice nothing? See not the change yourself?"

"Not until it was complete, I fear," the Matriarch murmured. "It truly was an insidious thing. So few at first - and then, so many, before I could see the change. And now, I am left to curse my powerlessness to reverse this corrosive tide."

The water vestal shook her head. "This cannot be..."

"Did Agnès ask anything of you with what breath she had left?" the Matriarch asked.

Olivia nodded. "That I care for the Wind Crystal, in her stead," she replied.

"I see..." the Matriarch bowed her head. "Let us get you some garments more suited for travel," she insisted. "Then you can proceed to the stores in the lower area. The displays may feed Florem's transformation, but I can assure you they hold proper equipment as well.

"Thank you, Lady Matriarch," Olivia insisted.

She dared not relay what the legion of the bloody rose had told her: that the vestals of earth and fire shared Agnès' fate.

* * *

Draco: As the Sky Knights have been addressed as the "Knights of the Eternian Sky", so too shall the Bloodrose Legion be addressed as the "Legion of the Bloody Rose". The more elaborate names just sound awesome.


	8. Flaunt or Flight?

Draco: To clear up any potential confusion, Olivia did _not_ take the week between chasm and waking to get from Twilight Ruins to the city. I'm going in a slightly anachronic order here. Agnès woke up in the village the day after the darkness, then Olivia arrived at Florem the day after that. I just realized I hadn't done anything to show passage of time and thought I should clear that up.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Florem Region: Flaunt or Fight?**

Olivia stepped into the plaza of Florem. In her hand was a small bag, holding roughly 1000 pg - a gift from the Matriarch, to supply before she departed for Ancheim. She had changed out into garments more suited for travel - a soft blue longcoat with a light trim of dark fur, black leggings, and a belt with several small pouches on it. The beauty-obsessives paid her no mind as she made her way to the armoury, hoping they still had something that could be considered _armour_ here.

She was welcomed most kindly by the armoury owner, who approached her with a smile on her face. "Welcome, dear," the storekeeper greeted. "Flaunt or fight?"

The question confused Olivia. "I-I'm sorry?"

"New here, are you?" The woman's voice was soft and understanding. "Florem's stores have two different selections - those with fashion, for those who are seeking beauty in their appearances, and those for travellers who need practical equipment. I just sought to ease your search. Are you looking for equipment to flaunt, or fight?"

"Um... fight, I guess," she admitted. "I'm really not cut out for combat, though. I'd much rather avoid fighting."

"It's quite alright, dear," she insisted. "We have equipment for that, as well. Here, come with me." She led Olivia to the back of the store, where there was plenty of combat equipment. The woman looked over things for a brief moment before picking up a combat vest that seemed to shimmer. "Here you are," she mused. "A Mirage Vest distracts monsters, making it hard for them to land their blows. It should help you if you would rather avoid combat."

Olivia was relieved, and thanks were already on her lips when she saw the price tag - _1600 pg._ "Oh, my," she gasped. "Um... I'm sorry, I haven't... Have you anything in the 1000 range?"

An expression of sadness rose on the storekeeper's face - not for a loss of business, but an inability to help. "I'm afraid not, my dear," she admitted. "Only headwear and shields. My apologies. I would advise you to visit the trader, first. Get some supplies. Leave no town without ten Potions and some Antidotes. Echo Herbs if you know magic, or Eye Drops if you don't. A few Teleport Stone if you intend to enter the woods or caves. Once you are finished, then come back and I will see what I can get you."

The water vestal's spirits started to falter, but she only bowed her head. "Thank you for your advice," she murmured, departing the store and making her way to the trader's.

She was asked the same question on arrival: "Flaunt or fight?" Unlike the armoury, however, the storekeeper only directed her to the display under her desk when she answered "Fight", returning to her magazine. Olivia looked over the inventory, counting prices in her head.

"Um... Twenty Potions, ten Antidotes, five vials of Eye Drops, and a Teleport Stone," she requested. She already knew that she wouldn't have the money for any armour or weapon and still get any reasonable supplied - her only hope was to get some healing and pray.

The storekeeper drew out the items, setting them on the counter. "Four hundred, five, six - that'll be seven hundred pg," she counted, turning to her. "A good bag will be another three hundred."

_Three hundred?_ Olivia shook her head. "No, no, I think I've got room..." She handed the storekeeper seven hundred pg and started to set the supplies into the pouches along her belt. She managed to fit in everything but the stone, which she merely set into her pocket; at that, she bid the storekeeper farewell and started towards the city exit - already knowing this trip was going to be a living hell.

She was surprised to see a familiar face looking around for something - the girl who had been envious of her friend's petalhue. She was wearing the Frosti charm bracelet, and she was muttering under her breath, "Where... where... where..." At the sight of Olivia, she called out, "Hey, street!"

Olivia winced at the address - but training as a vestal had ingrained in her a responsibility to help anyone needing help, and she stepped forward. "What is it?"

"I need to get some money before the trader with the spirit hairpins gets into town. You seen anyone with a help wanted sign?"

"I'm afraid not," she replied. Eyeing the bracelet, she asked, "You said that charm was designed to ward of monsters, right?"

"That's what the girl handing them out said," the girl replied. "Or, I think she said. She didn't speak all that well."

Knowing she was asking for trouble, Olivia requested, "Would you be willing to sell it?"

The question caused the girl to step back. "What? Who do you think you are, street, some kind of-"

"You're looking for money, right?" she asked. "I need to get to Ancheim. I have three hundred pg and I don't need to keep a coin if it'll get me to Harena safely. One of my friends died, and I need to get word to her home that- That's not even Eternian."

The sudden change in subject caught the girl off-guard. "Huh?"

Olivia set a hand on the band the charm dangled from. The girl pulled away quickly, but the touch was enough. "That band is Caldis rune cloth. It's going to break in three days if you wear it straight. And the charm..." She twisted the Frosti to look at the back. "Eternians brand _everything_. If this was made in Eternia, it would have their emblem on the back."

"Oh, hell!" the girl cried, pulling the band off her wrist. "And I was just going to pawn it off at the trader's! If I tried to pass off Caldislan crap as the Eternian limited edition, she'd kick my-"

"Three hundred pg?" Olivia interrupted. "Please, I need to get out of here."

The girl bit her lip. "Screw it. Fine, three hundred. Probably the best deal I'll get on this piece of junk."

Olivia handed the girl her coin bag, accepting the charm in exchange; then the water vestal took off, slipping the band onto her own arm as she left the city.

+x+x+x+

She arrived at the shore not far from Twilight Ruins as the sun was going down. A lack of monstrous encounter proved the charm's enchantment, but she considered herself fortunate not to have run into the legion of the bloody rose - she was in no condition to pick a fight with man or monster with her current equipment.

Luck struck her here - what seemed to be a merchant vessel was sailing near the shore, and she managed to wave it down, drawing it to the shore. When it had neared, she quickly asked, "Are you going to the port in the Flor-Cheim Inner Sea?"

"Just departed, miss," she replied. "I'll be returning after a stop in Caldisla."

Olivia bit her lip, hesitating; then she determined that none on their way _to_ Harena would be this close to the Florem shore. "Would you allow me to board?"

"Not gonna complain about the ride, are ya?" the sailor asked. "Seas have been monstrous, of late."

"I've got a ward for monsters," she insisted. "Please, allow me to board."

The merchant bit his lip; then he shrugged, as though deciding it didn't matter. "Alright, come on, miss."

Olivia clambered on board, bowing politely to the sailor before asking; "How long is the trip?"

"Winds like this?" he mused, glancing at the sails - the wind was weak, compared to what Olivia had seen in refuge. "Nearly five days, miss," he insisted. "Then another six on the way back - if I can get the right breezes."

Olivia sighed. _Eleven days untended,_ she murmured, thinking of the Wind Crystal. _Eleven days with its priestess and bride succumbed to death's cold embrace, and none to take her place._ She had visited the Water Crystal on her way to Florem, and had been caught by terror at the sight of its darkened state - though she knew not how to purge it, she was wise enough to set up a barrier to protect it from any further darkness, as well as offer it a moment of prayer - small action, to be certain, but still something to apologize for three years of neglect.

Perhaps the acolytes at the Temple of Wind would know of something that could be rid of this darkness.

+x+x+x+

It was the fourth day of the journey when things began to go wrong.

Olivia was eating what meager meal the sailor had given her when a suspicious darkness caught the corner of her eye. She glanced over the edge of the ship keeping her eye on the sea for anything... susicious. The sound of water was always music to her ears, be it a river flowing swift and sure in one direction, or an ocean in a storm; yet something about the waves that caught Olivia's attention now seemed pained - frightening.

No... frightened _for itself_.

A figure surfaced on the water, and Olivia turned towards it. A small fish, no longer than her foot - but it was lifeless, floating on the waves with its eyes glossed over and its belly raised to the skies. Not only that, its scales were stripped; its body seemed to be rotting as it floated. It wasn't long before another fish of similar size surfaced nearby. Then another, and another - small fish, but lifeless all the same.

"Oh, _miz__u,_" Olivia murmured. "What... what is happening?"

The waters seemed to darken as the ship sailed that day, and slowly the types lifeless fish rising to the surface grew larger. The sailor began to fret for the condition of the ship. Olivia did not sleep that night - for slowly, yet surely, the hull of the ship began to deteriorate, and she was uncertain when it would break. She blamed herself - she blamed her own incompetence for purging the Water Crystal's darkness.

The next day, as Caldisla took form on the horizon, the winds catching the sail went limp. The sailor noticed; panicking, he procured a pair of oars and handed one to Olivia. "Row, miss, or we'll sink and die to whatever has slain these fish!" he warned.

Olivia hadn't a great deal of strength in her arms; yet the horror of falling here, and being unable to help the crystals, propelled her to drive the oar into the water and stroke. The ship had some momentum from the winds propulsion, to be sure, but not enough; and sure enough, the ship was starting to give way, water filtering in through cracks and pieces.

As they neared the Caldislan port, the people had taken notice; someone threw them a rope ladder, shouting "Climb up, quick!" The merchant abandoned his oar and clambered up the footholds it provided; Olivia went into the cabin, grabbing her bag from the quickly gathering water imprisoned there; she stood as high as the boat would go and threw her bag to the people waiting, and only then did she grab the ladder, ascending to the port of Caldisla.

She turned to watch as the ship descended, sinking below waters nearly as black as pitch.

* * *

Draco: Yes, I went to Florem purely for the sake of checking clothing prices and making sure Olivia ended up with Caldis-region gear. I'm evil like that.


	9. Speaking With The Sky Knights

Draco: This site hates me. I blame America.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: Speaking With The Sky Knights**

"Whaddaya _mean_ she didn't show up!?"

No sooner had Barras' roar finished than Holly clocked him in the nose with the head of her staff. Ominas only shook his head as he replied; "It's j-j-j-j-just what I said," he insisted. "Edea didn't come to C-C-C-Centro Keep all week."

Heinkel crossed his arms, thinking on what Ominas was saying. "I had been worried about this," he admitted. "Alternis warned me before we left. 'Any order you might give to Edea will be taken as a recommendation from someone with more experience, at best, and an irritation from someone with a false sense of superiority, at worst. She is the grand marshal's daughter, after all.' She didn't seem to be protesting, but it's possible she found a lead on the wind vestal and didn't see fit to check in on us first."

"I knew that little hussy wasn't to be trusted," Holly muttered. "We're gonna have to scour the kingdom to find out where she went.

"I hardly think it'll come to that," Heinkel insisted. "Just fly the _Eschalot_ over the city and land in the lake. She'll show up before too long for one reason or another."

+x+x+x+

Early the next day, Barras and Holly were in the air. At Holly's insistence, Barras brought the ship over the chasm were Norende had been, wondering if she had been in the woods nearby.

"Hold on," Holly insisted, stabbing her staff into the deck. "I see something at the overhang there."

Barras looked over the edge. A little boy had been standing there, but at the sight of the ship he took off through the ravine. "Ah, it's just a kid," he insisted. "Probably someone from the city looking for some frontal assault with the Goblins. That sword's way too big for him anyways. Don't act like he's gonna hurt us."

Holly tapped her staff idly. "Fine," she muttered. "Just fly over the city, get her attention, and land in the lake."

"Let me fire the cannon," Barras insisted. "Once! I can get the chasm from Caldisla!"

This got him another strike from Holly's staff.

+x+x+x+

To Til's fortune, the _Eschalot_ didn't so much as drop a soldier. The Goblins in the ravine and on the way back to Caldisla made up for it. He made it back to Caldisla at noon; he decided to stop by the inn and get a drink to calm his nerves - and keep him awake - before going to speak with the king.

"Light coffee, please," he asked of the innkeep. "Milk and two sugars."

He had his drink before too long; as soon as he was finished, he picked up the sword he had cast under the table and strapped it back onto his back before starting towards the castle. The door opened as he was approaching, and he was caught off-guard by a girl in blue stepping in with a somewhat large bag.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said quickly.

"It's okay," Til murmured. He moved to the side and let her step in before taking off towards the castle.

The King was waiting for him when he arrived. "Ah, Til!" he called, relieved, as the boy stepped into the palace. "Good to see you safely returned." His expression fell shortly. "What of Norende?"

Til's gaze only fell.

"...I take if from your grim countenance... our fears were confirmed," the King observed.

"It might be gone, Your Highness," Til insisted, "but I'm not gonna forget about it. I can rebuild it. Alone if I have to!"

The king was impressed. "Well spoken, lad," he admitted. "I shall support the effort however I can." A thought occurred to him, and he turned to Owen, who was waiting nearby. "Owen, would you fetch me the papers?"

Owen took off into a back room, coming out with a small scroll. He unfurled it as the king said a few words quietly to him, drawing a quill to make a few edits; then he beckoned forward, and Owen approached Til, handing him the scroll rebound.

"Take this," the king assured him. "It shall serve as a token of your new office as leader of the restoration effort."

Til accepted it gratefully, holding it between both hands. "It's an honour, your highness," he insisted. "But... What about the Sky Knights? They're causing trouble for you, aren't they?"

A scoff from the king. "They've been a curse upon us all, of late," he admitted. "And never more than this last week. They're in a lather over this search for the wind vestal. I've no clue what has them so desperate, but they've begun making bald threats."

The name caused Til to lower his gaze. _Edea said something about a wind vestal,_ he mused. _But the vestal wasn't at Norende. And she isn't at Caldisla, either..._

"They've berthed their ship at the lake southwest of us and kept their cannons on the city," the king continued, unaware of Til's thoughts. "I fear our own ships cannot fly as long as they've our people at gunpoint. It galls me, but there's little I can do."

"Let me try and talk to them," Til requested. "I think I might be able to reason with them."

The king was astonished at that. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Til nodded. "Norende can wait," he insisted. "I'm in as much trouble as you are if they keep acting like this."

"...Very well," the king replied. "You can try to speak with them, if you like. But do be careful."

"They're just people, not monsters," Til insisted. "They're not going to cause too much trouble."

+x+x+x+

Olivia stepped into the city of Caldisla, weary and tired.

She caught sight of an inn before too long, and with her bag nearly dragging on the ground, she quickly stepped up and pushed the door open. She was surprised to see a young boy standing there. He had a broadsword strapped to his back - nearly his own size - with a small buckler hanging under it and a fighting dagger under his belt. The sight of him was rather disconcerting; worried, Olivia stepped back. "Oh, I'm sorry," she insisted.

"It's okay..." His voice was sad, as though something terrible had struck him, and he stepped to the side, allowing her to enter before he left the inn. Slowly, she stepped up to the counter. The sailor that had brought her here had given her some eighty pg for a stay at the inn, and she quickly stepped up and set the coins on the counter. "May I rest for the day?" she asked.

"Is something the matter, child?" the innkeep inquired. "You seem troubled."

Olivia nodded. "I've come from Florem," she murmured. "The seas have rotted through. The ship that brought me here sunk in the harbour."

The innkeep looked horrified. "Oh, my," he mused. "Here, come in. Keep your coin, it's on the house. We've only a few beds, but feel free to rest."

"Thank you..." Olivia murmured, following the innkeep up the steps. She took the first bed she arrived at, slumping onto in a most undignified manner - the water vestal was asleep within the minute.

+x+x+x+

"Fish!"

Holly and Barras had become incredibly bored, waiting at the lake for Edea to arrive. With the _Eschalot_ floating on the water, they had decided on fishing to pass the time - Holly would draw aquatic monsters out of the water with an Aero spell, whereupon Barras would strike them barehanded.

Their fifth Mad Shark had just come flying out, and Barras' was preparing to leap when a young voice called out to them; "Hello!? Sky Knights!?" The monk nearly stumbled off the ship; he managed to regain his footing before long, and the shark's approach was cut off when he managed to slam an impromptu uppercut into its neck. It hit the earth on the side of the lake, tumbled for a bit, and fell into the darkened oceans, whereupon it sank into the water._  
_

Barras hesitated to make sure it wouldn't come out again; then he and Holly headed to the opposite side of the deck, looking for the source of the call. The caught sight before too long - a familiar looking child, in clothes from Norende under a slightly oversized Linen Cuirass. He had a broadsword on his back, a dagger in his belt, and a buckler under the blade.

"Hey, what're you doin' here, kid?!" the monk shouted. "This ain't a sparrin' ground! Go to the city field house!"

Til bit his lip. "Why are you guys threatening the city?" he asked - yelling not from anger, but from the distance between them.

Holly shook her head. "We're looking for someone, brat!" she called. "We know she's in Caldisla somewhere!"

"The wind vestal, right?!"

Til's question caught the Sky Knights off-guard. Both of them exchanged glances; then Barras grabbed the edge of the railing, pulled himself up on it, and leapt towards Til. The Norende boy stepped back to provide enough room to land that the monk wouldn't run into him; Barras landing with a punch that cracked the ground before raising his gaze to Til and pounding his fists together.

"Whaddaya know about the wind vestal, kid?" he demanded.

"She's not in Caldisla," Til replied, loosing the first strap on his sword. "There's no vestal anywhere in this land."

"Don't give us that bull," Holly snapped, stepping out from behind Barras. Til would spend that night wondering how she had made it from the _Eschalot_ to the shore. "We received word from-"

"From your contacts in Ancheim that the wind vestal was supposed to be en route for the Caldis region," Til interrupted. "She's _not here_. She must have got off on another stop before the boat she got on showed up."

Barras and Holly exchanged confused glances.

Til looked between them. "It's that chasm, isn't it?" he asked. "That's the reason you think the vestal's here. You think she had something to do with that chasm?"

"She must have," Barras insisted. "She's a vestal of the crystals! Who else would be able to make a hole in the earth like that?"

"She's not in Caldisla," Til insisted. "That's what I came here to tell you. There is no vestal in Caldisla. If you're not gonna leave the city alone..."

He unfastened the other strap, the sword hitting the ground behind him, and grabbed the handle in his backhanded body-swing grip."

"...I'll fight you if I have to!"

Barras grinned pounding his fists together again. "Frontal assault! I like it! Whyte!" he shouted, turning to Holly. "Give us a fitting arena!"

Holly quickly set her staff into the ground, reaching her empty hand into her pocket. From there she drew out a shining crystalline figure, no bigger than her fist - it was segmented into two, with the top of it being a layer of gold and the rest deep black. With a smirk, she swept her staff across the ground, drawing a six-pointed star on the earth with three quick lines.

A flare of blue magic ripped up around her, covering herself, Barras, and Til, who raised an arm over his eyes to stop himself from going blind. When it faded, he looked around - the southern Caldis lake and everything around it had vanished, replaced with a circle of bright blue light that left only Til and the Sky Knights.

Barras pounded the earth. "Monk Barras Lehr enters the ring!" he called.

"What the...?" Til turned to Holly as she slipped the stone back into her pocket. "How did you-?"

"It's the asterisks', boy!" Barras shouted, reaching into his own pocket and drawing out another stone like it. "You've nowhere to run!"

Til shook his head, gripping his sword in both hands once more as Barras pocketed the stone. "I'm not gonna run away!"

Barras rushed forward, his hands flying, but Til only stepped to the side once, turning his body to swing his sword at Barras' leg. The blade landed a blow that caught Barras off-guard, skidding to a stop, and Til quickly shot back towards him and slammed a cut into the back of his other leg.

The monk howled, yelping like a pained dog and hopping away. Til chuckled lightly before stepping forward, swinging his sword again, but Barras managed to leap aside this time, rolling in a way that his proportions should _not_ allow. With a growl, he slammed his fists together as a flare of crimson ripped up around him; then he crossed his arms, some kind of bright energy gathering around him. It condensed over his chest as he lashed his arms out and rushed forward, swinging towards Til.

The Norende boy raised the sword before him. "Default!"

A shockwave of icy blue emerged from the point where Barras' hand passed as it slammed into the sword, mitigating the strike's power though not eliminating it entirely. The blade skidded back along the ground, skidding against Til's leg; he quickly swung the sword again, getting enough lift this time to hit Barras in the stomach, and the monk stumbled back. Til quickly moved at him again, hitting across his legs; the monk could not get away before the blow connected, and Til quickly stepped back.

An unfamiliar sound came from Holly's direction, and Til turned to see magic ringing her. A green-white light lit up around Barras, and he quickly got to his feet, the cuts closing. He grinned, pounding his fists again, and the same crimson flare lit up around him. Til quickly raised his sword to block again as the monk lit up with the same energy as before, Defaulting when the monk's hit neared him - this one hit his left hand, and he gave a shout, trying to resist the pain.

"I'll admit, you handle yourself well," Holly called to him. "But you don't hit hard enough to make it count. Any healer can deal with little cuts like those."

Til grit his teeth, swinging at Barras again while he was still recovering from the burst. Another flare, light, strike, and Til Defaulted again to mitigate the hit; nonetheless the blow passed his blade and slammed into Til's shoulder. The sound of magic emerged as Holly made to heal Barras' wounds; but Til only spun around, his blade carving into the ground as he rushed towards Holly, Barras unable to act.

The healer was astonished at what he was doing. "What the...?"

Til closed his eyes for five paces as he was running across the battlefield; then he snapped them open. "Brave, Brave, Brave!" he yelled, crimson flaring up around him once, twice, thrice; then his body _accellerated_ as he shot past Holly, slamming a blow across the front of her legs and spinning when he passed to slam one into the backs. Holly gasped, reaching for her legs as Til shifted his grip on his weapon to swing the other way, striking across her back and knocking her forward; then he swung at her arm, the staff falling out of her hands. Now he spun in place, lashing blows across Holly as she tried to get up.

Finally he came to a halt, his head spinning from the momentum.

Holly was still in the game, however, with a quick movement she grabbed her staff as magic swirled around her. A gust of wind ripped up around Til, and he gave a shout as the air cut into him, knocking the sword out of his hands. With a grin, she forced herself to her feet, crimson ripping around her as she made to heal her wounds.

Then Til stepped forward, drawing his dagger in a straight forehand grip and swinging a blow across her stomach, sending her tumbling back as he ran into her staff.

"Holly!" Barras shouted as Holly fell to the ground, her magic lost in the air around her. "Oh, son of a-!"

Til coughed weakly, tired from all this action; yet he grabbed his shield from his back, holding his dagger like a sword more his size. He knew he was going for a risk, but he quickly reached for that power again as he started running towards the brawler.

"Brave, Brave, Brave!"

The crimson flares emerged again, and Barras hardly had time to turn to him before his body accelerated. He quickly lashed out with three swings across his left arm, tearing a shout from the monk; an attempt to strike at Til with his right hand only met the ground as Til sidestepped, slashing across that arm, too. Moving quickly, Til circled around him, lashing cuts across his legs and knocking him to his knees before racing away to the center of the battlefield to put some distance between him and the monk.

Barras tried to move, tried to strike again; but his energy left him, and he hit the ground weak.

The blue light of the arena faded, and Til sighed, putting his dagger on his belt again and hooking his shield on his back. He stepped towards his broadsword and strapped that back over his buckler; then he stepped towards Holly, who was reaching for her staff.

Thinking quickly, Til picked up the staff, causing Holly to look up at him.

"There is no. Vestal. In. Caldisla," he said firmly. "Leave. The city. Alone."

Such stern words coming from such a young face sent a chill down the white mage's spine. Slowly, Til stepped towards her, reaching into her pocket and drawing out the stone she had put in there; then he drove the staff into the ground in front of her, and stepped towards Barras, taking the stone from his pocket as well.

The Sky Knights weren't dead, and Til knew that Holly would probably be able to heal their wounds. But this should send a clear message to the group.

He held out the stones before him, looking over them curiously.

"Asterisks, huh."

He set them into his pockets and reached into his ears, making sure he hadn't damaged something. "Now I get what Edea had been talking about."

* * *

Draco: I hope I didn't make Til seem too... _Victoria_, here. I imagine the kid would need a lot of guts and a fair game face to be taking down Holly and Barras, but having someone that young kick that much ass makes you hesitant.


	10. The Beginning

Draco: This might not be a literation, but it take enough source material from the game directly that I've had my system on straight since I started this thing. How has this thing not glitched up and faux-ejected yet?

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: The Beginning**

When Olivia first woke, she was not quite certain of the cause.

The Caldisla inn was not particularly expansive - just the entryway, a small dining area with four tables (for customers grabbing a meal), a stairway, supplies rooms, and an open room with four beds, none of them enclosed. It was late at night - the Caldislan guard had relegated to the castle resting chambers, and although the innkeep still waited at the inn counter, his space was lit only by a small candle that did not cast light into the rest area.

Confused, the water vestal glanced around, looking for anything that might have roused her. The slam of the inn door answered her - someone had come in at this hour, and after a few sparse words with the innkeep, their footsteps sounded from the stairway. Olivia was eager to fall back asleep, but the approaching taps on the steps were enough to keep her awake; she was not particularly deprived after sleeping nearly since noon, so she made no pretence of irritation as she raised her gaze to the approaching figure, holding a single candle to light his way.

At the sight of Olivia, he raised a hand in apology. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" It was a young boy, and although he was dressed to fight, he looked weary.

"It's quite alright," Olivia insisted. "No sleep I can't reclaim in a few moments' silence."

"Okay..." The boy made his way to the other bed on that side, setting the candle down on the table. Olivia followed him with her gaze, looking over his equipment. A broadsword was strapped twice to his back, nearly his own size; when he removed the bindings and set the blade on the floor, there was a buckler hooked underneath it. He drew out a dagger from his belt - a far more appropriate weapon for his size - and set it with the other pieces before pulling off his slightly oversized cuirass. Beneath he wore far more comfortable garments - a white shirt with faded gold emblems on the shoulders, a belt with a waterskin and a small pouch opposite, and blue leggings.

Her curiosity got the better of her. "What's your name?" Olivia asked politely.

The boy turned. "I'm Til Arrior," he replied, sitting down on the bed and casting the cuirass over his armaments. "You?"

"Olivia," she replied. "Olivia Oblige." Looking at the emblems on his shoulders as he started to draw the covers over him, she asked, "You're from Norende?"

Til reached for his waterskin, pulling it from his belt and raising it over the candle. A single drop of the drink inside fell onto the candle, extinguishing it and plunging the room into darkness once more.

His response came out of the darkness.

"I was."

+x+x+x+

_"Spare me your pathetic self-blaming angst."_

_"The ones who fly the bloody rose?"_

_"Stop resisting, will you?"_

_"I fear you've overdone it."_

_"She's dying, you monster!"_

_"Un...acceptable."_

"Agnès!"

Olivia shot to an upright position as consciousness returned to her. A yelp from nearby caused her to turn to see the boy Til stumbling back. "I'm sorry," he mused. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It... no, I should have woken by now," Olivia murmured. "Thank you."

The two of them accepted drinks from the innkeep. Til seemed to have had a drink before, since the innkeep handed him a glass nearly as soon as he arrived. When asked her choice of drink, Olivia only politely requested tea.

The innkeep was surprisingly accepting of her request. "Not used to coffee, miss?"

"No, thank you," she insisted. "Coffee makes my head go all fuzzy."

Her drink finished as Til was finishing his; he quickly set down his cup and departed, leaving Olivia alone to clear her mind of the nightmare she had woken from.

+x+x+x+

"You chased off the Eternian ship?"

The king of Caldisla was reasonably surprised by Til's report. "Amazing! To think you would achieve this, and at such a young age! Excellent work, lad!" He lowered his gaze to the Norende boy. "What do you intend to do now?"

"I need to get started on rebuilding Norene," Til replied. "I'll be going back to the chasm, Your Majesty."

"I can send you some supplies," the king admitted, "but my guard need stay on alert to deal with the Eternians. You've dealt with their most bothersome squad, to be sure, but I can't leave the kingdom undefended.

Til only bowed his head. "Just some supplies will be quite enough," he insisted. "Thank you, Your Highness."

The king nodded. "I'm certain your efforts will see Norende restored," he assured him. "Good luck to you, lad."

+x+x+x+

Til arrived at the Great Chasm as noon struck that day. The men who brought the supplies with him through the ravine were mostly storekeeper - Til assured them no offence when they told him they had to head back to Caldisla to man their stores.

"Okay, let's see," he murmured to himself, looking at the supplies he had. "What should I do first...?"

He decided the best choice would be to construct for himself something of a shelter for his construction materials. He ran into several minor problems about weight while he was mixing the concrete, but before long he was laying bricks, setting up a structure just large enough to hold what he had. By the time he had finished the first... five, six layers of bricks, the sun was starting to set again.

It was now that he realized the volume of just what he had gotten himself into - attempting a reconstruction project in a dangerous work zone.

With a heavy sigh, and he sat down against what bricks he had set up, careful to keep something between him and the still-drying concrete. His gaze drifted to the skies, set ablaze by the setting sun, and a snicker passed "What did I think I could do?" he murmured. "One kid, trying to rebuild a village. I don't even have the strength to mix this stuff right. Tiz could probably pull it off..."

The thought dropped the self-amused grin from his face. "_Tiz..._"

At that point he gave up, curling into fetal position, pressing his face into his arms, and allowing himself to cry.

The light was nearly gone from the skies when his tears were depleted, the half-mixed concrete having dried unevenly in what bricks he had lain. Slowly, Til pulled himself to his feet, using his broadsword as a support; then he started off towards the ravine, not entirely eager to start fighting Goblins again, yet knowing it was better than trying to work through the night at a task most futile.

"Uh, hello?"

Til spun around, his sword cutting the ground around him. "Who's there?" he called, his voice cracking.

"What are you trying to do, here?"

"Show yourself!" Til shouted._  
_

"Alright, alright! Relax!"

Til gripped his sword worriedly, his gaze shifting from side to side before he caught sight of something over the edge of the ravine.

A female figure - no bigger than his forearm - with a pair of flittering wings.

* * *

Draco: ...{insert witty insult about Airy here}


	11. The Holy Pillar Revisited

Draco: {insert another witty insult about Airy here}

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Eternia Region: The Holy Pillar Revisited**

"Default!"

The cobalt guard helped to mitigate the pain, to be sure, but did next to nothing to stop the force of the blow from knocking Tiz off his feet. He quickly drove Gladius into the floor of the barrier, the two-pronged blade providing more leverage as he brought his feet into the floor. A quick Cura from Agnès wrapped his wounds in moments as Edea drove Masamune into the floor, and a barrier of golden energy appeared around each of them as Ringabel rushed forward with the Giant's Axe in hand.

Lord DeRosso seemed to be anticipating the action, for he quickly stepped aside; however, he did _not_ expect Ringabel to close in with the great weapon and slam right into his side. The blow would crush the bones of any other; but DeRosso quickly recovered, lashing out his blade with a pointed thrust that prompted Ringabel to leap back. A flare of Ninjutsu from Tiz caused him to turn; the Norende boy quickly parted his hands, drawing Gladius from his belt and Kiku-Ichimonji from his back once more.

The vampire gave a light chuckle. "Your routine is almost practiced."

Tiz smirked. "Yet you display power like nothing I have seen before."

Agnès spun in place, driving her Diamond Staff into the ground and setting one foot against it, lowering her Dark Shield suggestively - and a melodious sound echoed around her, sending strength coursing through her and her allies. DeRosso crossed his arms, reaching for Tiz's courage; but the draw struck air as Tiz seemed to vanish, reappearing just moments away with Red Magic flaring up around him; then he whirled Kiku-Ichimonji in hand before rushing forward.

"Brave, Brave, Brave!" The crimson flares around him propelled his body further, and he drew back both knife and katana at one side. Lord DeRosso, anticipating a fast blow, only raised his hand again, reaching again to draw from Tiz's bravery - successfully, this time.

He was not expecting the sickly green liquid whirling up on his blades.

Or the joined dual helix of monstrous energy forming around him.

"What-?"

Tiz lashed his weapons forward, each of them wrapped in the waters of Rusalka, driving a blow straight across DeRosso's side. The liquid flared across the vampire, weakening his muscles as Tiz spun on the skid, the helix rising up around him again. He swept his katana forward, hurling a wave of flame that raced across the ground and singed DeRosso's cape; then again with a wave of ice that chilled the gold trim on his jacket.

Then he spun, slamming the flat of his knife to the ground and holding his katana out at his side; and the helix rose once more as a burst of energy that could have come from Chaugmar himself surged out, sending the cross-blade flying from Lord DeRosso's hands.

The vampire tumbled to one knee, setting his palm on the floor of the arena; and he closed his eyes, allowing the barrier to close. Slowly, he lifted from the ground, drifting backwards and taking position before his throne.

"I am a man of my word," he insisted. "Behold, the final painting."

Tiz slipped Gladius into his belt, sliding Kiku-Ichimonji into the ring he had affixed to his collar. Edea whirled Masamune in hand before slipping it into a similar ring affixed to her belt. Agnès hooked the Dark Shield over her Diamond Staff and held it at her side; Ringabel just sighed, setting his Giant Axe on the ground and gripping the handle to drag it, the Spiked Shield forgotten on his arm.

A Pirate with the precision of a Ranger.

A Swordmaster defending like a Templar.

A Performer steeped in White Magic.

And a Ninja with that power the archduke was so proud of...

The four of them bowed respectfully to Lord DeRosso; then they stepped past his throne, proceeding to the hidden work of art behind it.

"The angel..." Agnès' voice was quiet, almost sad.

"It's as he said," Tiz murmured, remembering the Sage's words. "Agnès, she looks just like you."

"You can say that again," Ringabel admitted, setting a hand on his chin.

"Yes, they could be twins," Edea admitted.

Agnès angled her head, curious. "Is there really such a resemblance?" she asked.

Lord DeRosso had stepped up behind them, unnoticed, and now he asked of them, no need for theatrics; "Did I speak thus in the previous world?"

The team turned to him, not _surprised_, per se, but just now realizing their own words. Tiz was uncertain when they had begun to consider this venture a "second world", but the archduke's observation repeated their own nonetheless.

"Oh, Lord DeRosso," Edea admitted, "I don't recall if you truly said that."

"I seem to recall he did," Ringabel mused, setting a hand on his head. "At least... I think."

DeRosso only shrugged. "Well, no matter," he assured them. "The truth is, there is a striking resemblance. To call them twins almost seems... inadequate. It is more that they are indeed the same person."

Agnès set a hand over her own face, as though uncertain.

"Do not fret over it," the archduke insisted. "It brings no shame to your status as vestal." He glanced between the four. "More importantly," he continued, "the four of you showed interest in the asterisks - and your skill shows that you are not limited to that your garb implies. How many do each of you carry?"

"Each?" Tiz asked. "No, uh... Ringabel?"

The pompadour reached for a small bag he kept under the pirate's jacket, drawing it out and prying it open. He had intended to give Lord DeRosso a number, but no sooner had he caught sight of the stones than DeRosso stopped him. "You keep them all in one place?" he asked. "It would be wiser to divide them between you."

"Ringabel was the only one who knew how to use an asterisk when we started this journey," Edea replied. "I still haven't got the process quite down."

"Divide the stones between you," Lord DeRosso advised. "I would like to show you a trick that Yulyana displayed for me."

"A trick?" Ringabel mused, raising one eyebrow. When the archduke's expression did not falter, he only shrugged. "Alright. Tiz?"

Tiz thought for a moment. "Ah... Monk, Thief... Time Mage... Salve Maker... Pirate."

Ringabel handed him the asterisks he had asked for - enough that he could hold them in one hand if he was careful. "Agnès?"

"White Mage... Summoner... Performer, Ninja... and Arcanist," the vestal replied.

"Knight, Spell Fencer, Ranger... Valkyrie, Swordmaster, and Templar," Edea requested when Agnès had received hers. "Wait, that's an extra..."

"No, there are a couple extra," Ringabel insisted. "That leaves me Black Mage, Merchant, Red Mage, Spiritmaster, Vampire..."

Lord DeRosso's eyes went wide at that.

"...and... Dark Knight." Ringabel's breath went heavy on that one.

"Not entirely practical," DeRosso observed.

Edea shrugged. "Who cares?" she countered. "It's what we like."

Her father's daughter in every way.

"Hold the asterisks in one hand," DeRosso advised, holding out his left hand as though he were gripping five or six stones for himself, "then set the other hand over them." Here he placed his right hand perpendicular over his left.

Agnès and Tiz were able to do this with ease; Ringabel and Edea had to pile theirs slightly more carefully before they could do it. "Okay, now what?" Edea asked.

"Leave it there for a few moments," the archduke advised, "then lift it away and pull it down, such as if you were turning a small wheel."

Tiz followed his hand with his gaze as he drew it away from the asterisks, holding his hand before him and slashing it down.

And five asterisks appeared there, suspended in the air.

"What the-!" Tiz stumbled back, glancing at his other hand - which now stood empty. Shocked, he looked over the floating figures. Monk, Thief, Time Mage, Salve-Maker, Pirate - they were all there. "No way...!"

Lord DeRosso smirked. "I believe the appropriate response is... 'yes way'," he replied.

Curious, Agnès tried for herself, pulling her hand off the asterisks and sweeping it down - and the asterisks vanished from her hand, appearing suspended before her. A sharp breath passed through her lips at the sight, and now Edea and Ringabel tried the same - only to get the same result. "This is _so cool_," Edea exclaimed.

"You are familiar with how asterisks work, more or less?" DeRosso asked of them.

"Yes," Agnès replied. "The gold 'shield' segment holds the job's potential for growth; the black 'sword' portion holds what growth has already been achieved. Er... what was that phrase you used, Ringabel?"

Ringabel beckoned to the black section of the Black Mage asterisk. "The sword is your resume," he offered, "and the shield is your employment." Here he beckoned to the gold portion, his fingers brushing it lightly.

And a flare of light encompassed him, causing the others to draw back.

When it faded, Ringabel was standing in Black Mage robes - though still holding the Giant Axe to the floor and the Spiked Shield on his arm.

Lord DeRosso only shrugged amusedly. "As I was about to say," he continued, "this alignment allows for easy access to each role, and the skills therein. Touching the shield will shift you to that role, or remove you from it if it is already in use - and it is possible to contain armaments in the grip of each role - provided they are not already in use from a shared stock - while touching the sword allows you access to different skills you have claimed from a given role."

Curious, Edea tapped the black segment of the Ranger asterisk; the two pieces pulled apart, with the gold segment and the rest of the asterisks before her sliding slightly to her left, and the black segment turned so that the sword pointed towards them; several strands of white energy began to emerge to the right of the segment, linking to several bow-and-arrow emblems nearby.

"This makes so much more _sense_," Edea murmured. "I've just been feeling things out and fighting with what works. This is so much easier."

"Yulyana felt much the same way," DeRosso admitted. "But be forewarned; the asterisk barrier locks any combatants into the roles the have selected. You may not be able to take your time while dealing with monsters or crystal beasts, but the alignment will still function - you do not have that luxury in combat with another bearer of the asterisks."

Tiz bowed politely. "Thank you for the warning." Glancing over the hovering asterisks, he experimentally swept his hand up, prompting the stones to disappear. "Where do they go when they're not lined up?"

Lord DeRosso angled his head from side to side. "I'm not entirely certain, myself," he admitted.

+x+x+x+

"There you are!"

Airy's angry shout as Tiz stepped out ahead of the others was met only with an annoyed sigh. Ever since they had passed through the Holy Pillar, and ended up in this 'second world', as they had come to call it, Airy had been insistent that they go straight to the crystal temples - the team's attempts to check on the Eternian asterisk holders were met only with annoyance. The four crystals were now awake, the Holy Pillar shining in the southeastern sky beyond Harena - but Tiz had been insistent that they visit Castle Frostcoffin and see what Lord DeRosso had been up to. Airy had adamantly refused to enter the castle with them, instead waiting outside the door into which they had placed the six keystones.

That probably explained the frost that was covering her wings.

"What took you so long?" the cryst-fairy protested. "It's just a house full of paintings! What was in there that grabbed your attention so fast?"

"Are you alright, Airy?" Edea asked. "You must have gotten cold, waiting out here."

Airy turned to her. "That has nothing to do with this!" she snapped at her.

Then she sneezed hard enough that she actually flew backwards into Agnès' nose, prompting a light yelp from the wind vestal.

"Okay, maybe it does..." she admitted sheepishly.

Edea swept her hand down, causing her six asterisks to appear before her. She tapped the back of the spell fencer asterisk, causing it to separate and extend the white strands; the templar's daughter hesitated briefly before angling her hand and tapping the point where the shield joined to the sword. A light flowed across her body, and she quickly lashed her hand up, which had the dual effect of hiding the asterisks and prompting a blaze of Fire to wrap her hands. She offered the flame to Airy, who hesitantly flew forward and lifted herself above it, letting the radiating heat warm her up.

Ringabel turned to Tiz. "Well?" he mused. "What's the verdict?"

Tiz crossed his arms. "It's just like I thought," he admitted. "Everything in this round has been stronger than the last. The Eternian forces, the monsters taking hold of the crystals - even Lord DeRosso is stronger than he was before."

"How is that possible?" Agnès asked.

"We can bicker about possibilities later!" Airy insisted. "Let's get going!"

+x+x+x+

After about a half-hour preparing asterisks - and a few short stops at various armouries, to make sure they had enough gear for everyone to change to any of their asterisks at any given time - the four of them took Grandship to the Holy Pillar. Ringabel was at the helm in his Red Mage longcoat, singing to himself what sounded like a shanty about a pirate in a red jacket; Edea was currently in her Templar amour, making a few last-minute changes to her 'resume', as Ringabel had put it; Agnès was in Ninja gear, using her Gladius to pry something out of her nails; and Tiz was sitting on steps in his Salve-Maker suit, with a pair of books in hand.

One of them was Ringabel's copy of D's Journal.

The other was _Alternis_' copy of D's Journal.

He was reading the last entry in both of them. Most of the last half of Alternis' copy varied greatly from Ringabel's, but this last entry was nearly identical - a pillar of light at the southern sea, and worried concern about meeting Edea as one of the vestal's allies. Ringabel's copy featured a rough sketch on the page preceding the final one of that entry; a man, woman, and child. A desire for family.

_I'm removing Edea's picture from its frame and placing it within these pages. I want her by my side..._

Ringabel had since removed Edea's photo from his copy of the journal and kept it in his wallet, but he had left Alternis' photo trapped between the back of that page and the next. Curious, Tiz turned the page on Ringabel's copy, looking at the rough sketch that waited there.

He was astonished the page hadn't been torn, the drawing was so dark - yet he made out a face in that mass of darkness. A monster of some kind? What had beckoned that drawing?

Then he turned the page once more.

A _6_, within what appeared to be a spiralled _3_ - and a splatter of blood.

"We're coming up on the Holy Pillar!" Ringabel called.

Tiz closed both journals, making his way up to the helm with the others. He handed Ringabel the two in one hand; the pilot accepted them in one hand, driving them into his belt pouch as he slowly drew Grandship into the Holy Pillar.

The light was blinding, almost painful - drastically different from the previous time they had soared through it.

"Okay," Airy insisted, "I need to start meditating so I can focus. Don't bother me 'til I'm done. I'll make sure all goes to plan this time!"

The team nodded hesitantly.

Then Airy raised her arms, and the four points on her brooch began to shine again.

"O wondrous and beautiful First Light, my brooch awaits your divine radiance!"

Light began to draw in from the air around her, blotting out her figure within it.

The team gathered at the helm. "Airy is really giving it her all," Edea murmured.

"She may feel responsible for things going awry last time," Agnès observed.

Tiz bit his lip, glancing back at Airy. "Can you make some notes in your journal, Ringabel?" he asked quickly.

Ringabel nodded. "Alright," he assured. "I'll jot down anything that seems important." Turning back out the window to the shining pillar, his face fell. "But I am not sure how much I can do."

The statement caused Edea to hum confusedly.

"Besides the piloting, there is one other problem..."

The ship rocked violently, causing everyone to reach out to steady themselves - but Ringabel, his hands on the helm, made no such motion.

"Yes," he admitted. "We'll have _him_ to deal with - when he comes."

"You mean..." Tiz turned to him. "We have to go through _that_ again?"

Ringabel nodded.

Agnès swore, driving one dagger through the helm's spokes and into the railing to keep the wheel in place. "Let us head to the deck!"

+x+x+x+

Datz and Zatz, having taken refuge in the hold, were not on the deck when they arrived.

Dark Knight Alternis Dim _was_.

Edea rushed out ahead of the others, taking her place at the front of the crowd. "Alternis!" she shouted, reaching for her claymore.

Alternis spun to face them, looking over the group. His gaze shot left and right, further over the deck; then his voice came, fierce and all business.

"Where is she?"

The question confused Edea. Agnès was here, and her face unobscured. Was he not focused on capturing the vestal? "Who do you mean?"

"Where is that _peculiar fairy!?_" Alternis demanded.

Agnès was taken aback by that. "You mean Airy?" she asked.

"Airy?" Edea repeated. "But... why?"

Alternis' hand met his sword's grip. "Tell me where she is. Now!"

"Just what do you intend to do to her?" Edea demanded, bracing her Dark Shield before her.

"Slay her, of course!" Alternis retaliated. "Once she is gone, this will end!"

Edea grit her teeth. "_Do not_ try to stop us," she warned, raising her hand to grip the Claymore across her back.

Alternis shook his head. "How could you betray the grand marshal?" he demanded. "Your _own father_? Can you not see the grief you have caused!?"

That was the end of Edea's line.

"I've had it," Edea snapped, drawing her blade. "It is always the same with you! You _never_ listen to me!" Her sword's tip came dangerously close to the join between Alternis' helm and chestplate. "You and my father have done _nothing_ but _stand in my way!_ Shattering the _Eschalot_'s skystone! Speaking with Einheria! Calling on DeRosso when we got to Central Command! You've hindered us at _every step!_ _How_ can I see it? How can _any_ of us understand without a _word_ of explanation? Ziusudra's _Sin_, just _tell the whole story!_"_  
_

Alternis stepped back, a confused breath passing through his lips. His hand reached up, colliding with the base of the horns on his helmet as though a headache pounded beneath, and his gaze fell to the deck for a brief moment.

"You..."

Edea's expression softened, ever so little. Had she finally got through to him? "Alternis...?"

"Who _are_ you?"

That caught Edea off-guard, and she stepped back. "What?"

A seething breath passed through Alternis' lips as he shook his head, his hand reaching for his sword again.

"_You... are **not** Edea!_"

This was most certainly _not_ what she had expected. "I don't-!"

The ship rocked, and the four of them reached to steady themselves; but Alternis stood firm, his hand on his sword.

"You...!" he growled. "_You are **all** trying to deceive me!_"

With a scream, his weapon emerged from his sheath, the weapon braced at his side. "Stand aside, cowardly fools!" he warned, his voice a roar from beneath his helm. "Or your blood shall soak this dark blade!"

He swept once.

Twice.

Thrice.

The asterisk emblem shone with darkness in the air before him, and a flare of blue wrapped the deck of the Eschalot, trapping the four of them in combat with the dark knight.

* * *

Draco: If I went any further than this the chapter would be too long for this story. Sayonara for now.


	12. The End

Draco: Okay, I think this will get to where I want to go.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: The End**

"Stand aside, cowardly fools! Or your blood shall soak this dark blade!"

Three swipes of his sword; then the asterisk barrier surged forth around them, imprisoning the vestal and her companions to duel with him. Alternis swept his sword before him, the darkness that fed his blade storming around his shoulders.

Edea swore, bracing her shield before her when she saw herself as the first target for Alternis' Dark Bane.

The blow was nullified on the Dark Shield as Edea thrust her Claymore into the floor of the arena. The golden walls of Rampart surrounded her and her friends - Alternis had no magic with which to pass this defensive, and though it left her immobile as she pulled her sword from the ground, she was certain it would keep her friends safe from the worst of his attacks.

Agnès quickly rushed forward with Gladius and Kiku-Ichimonji, lashing the both of them towards the dark knight in a strike of absurd haste. He managed to sidestep the blow flawlessly, though her Shuppûjinari kept her moving too fast for him to retaliate. Ringabel didn't hesitate to stun him with a flurry of Thundara, trapping him in place as Tiz hurled a Divine Rain towards the dark knight. The falling Holy pearl connected with Alternis while he was still fighting off the aftershocks of the lightning attack, and Tiz quickly reached into his belt pouches for another pair of ingredients.

"Do you know that fairy's true objective?" Alternis demanded. "She intends to let the power of the Crystals run wild! You have all fallen for her ruse." Whirling to face Agnès, he added, "That includes you, Wind Vestal!"

He surged his arms out to the side, launching a Black Bane toward the four of them. Agnès only arced around it with her Utsusemi, and Edea still guarded with her shield; but the others lost their Rampart to the blow as Ringabel raised Lilith's Rod for another spell. Fira ripped up around Alternis, trapping him in place as Tiz hurled another compound; the Shadowflare tore up around him, leaving him open to Agnès' second Shuppûjinari.

"But it is written in the scriptures!" she protested. "Cryst-fairies guide the vestals from the paths of danger. They are the embodiment of the crystals' light!"

Alternis forced himself to his feet. "Clearly deceptions, fabricated by the Orthodoxy!" he snapped at her. "Awakening the crystals will _not_ save the world! On the contrary, they will only bring another to ruin!"

That brought the entire team to a halt.

Edea's blade fell from her hands.

"Bring... _another_... to ruin?" she gasped.

Alternis turned towards her, his blade held at his side.

"Another... _world_?"

"You know..." Alternis stepped back, the asterisk barrier beginning to fade around them. "You've already done it. _That_'s why you speak of things that have not happened! Because they _have_! _In a different world!_" He turned to the others. "The cryst-fairy has played you all for fools! _Where is she?_"

Edea was the first to respond. "At the bridge!" she replied. "Drawing the First Light!"

"Edea, no!" Agnès protested.

"You heard him, Agnès!" Edea shouted. "She's screwing us over! We can't ignore what's right in front of us!"

The barrier vanished, and Alternis spun on his sabaton, taking off towards the helm; and Edea, despite the vestal's protests, took off after him.

"Agnès, we can't overlook this!" Tiz insisted. "It's all lining up!"

Ringabel nodded. "Come on!" he called. "If they try to stop her alone, it'll be a slaughter!"

Agnès turned to him. "A what?"

"It..." Ringabel stopped himself. "They..." A grunt, as though in pain. "What...?" His hand flew to his forehead, and a gasp seethed through his lips as he tried to make sense of it.

"Ringabel!" Tiz shouted, grabbing his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Never mind... me!" he insisted. "To the bridge! We've got to stop her!"

+x+x+x+

They met up with Alternis and Edea as they approached the bridge - with both of them in armour, speed up a flight of stairs was not exactly at peak, so keeping up was no great difficulty. The light surrounding Airy was intensifying, and no sooner had they risen to the top level than Alternis drew his blade back.

Edea snatched the weapon from his hands, lashing it down - and a flare of Holy magic wrapped the blade as she handed it back to the dark knight.

That was all it took for him to lash it forward.

"Dark Bane!"

The surge of darkness pierced the First Light with ease, slamming into Airy full-on - and a shriek tore from the cryst-fairy's lips as she slammed into the helm.

Her brooch was suspended where she was for a brief moment before falling to the ground - the light that had been drawn within it flickering faintly.

"What the hell?" Airy was seething as she pulled herself off the wheel. "How did you get up-?"

Then she saw Edea standing beside him - drawing her Claymore from her back and wrapping it in Firaga.

The other three behind them, their own weapons in hand.

A sigh passed through her lips, and she pulled herself off the helm.

And the gathered First Light turned to flames of darkness, swirling towards her.

"_Use this team for the last few worlds_, I said. _An extra member will make things go faster,_ I said. _They won't care about anything on the reruns,_ I said. _You won't have to deal with that brat in Eisenberg anymore_, I said."_  
_

She crossed her arms before her - and her wings went still in the air behind her as the dark flames surged into her body.

"That's what I get for breaking a pattern..."

Edea slammed her sword into the bridge, forging a Rampart around her team.

"_...forged over eleven hundred million years and myriad worlds!_"

The darkness _erupted_ around her, slamming into the golden guard and still managing to force the team back against the railing. Tiz and Ringabel went for their asterisks, Tiz trading out his Salve-Maker gear for a Pirate's jacket and Giant Axe, Ringabel closing his hand on a Yggdrasil Staff as the Spiritmaster's lab coat landed upon him.

Then the shadows faded, and all the willpower in the world could not cease Agnès' scream.

Where Airy had been now stood a monstrous figure, a hideous mass of flesh the colour of dry blood, with six writhing arms and six wings like a dying sun, two bladed antennae rising from hair that could have just as easily been melting brain matter, and the face... it was _the face from Ringabel's journal_.

"What in the world...!?" Tiz braced his axe before him.

A seething growl emerged from the monster. "**It was my intention to let you live until His Malevolence had come forth from the Infernal Realm. But no. If you will insist on interfering at this stage, I've no qualms about crushing you all where you stand!**"

Alternis swept his dark blade out, the edge still shining with Edea's Holy magic. "First, you must get by me!" he roared.

"**First? Don't make me laugh.**" The creature's voice was storming with danger, and a necrous white energy began to gather around its hands. "**I've no need to pick you off one by one. I am Airy, _the Piercer of__ Boundaries_. Your bravado is nothing more than an irritation!**"

The six wings rose on the monster's back as her arms extended in each direction.

"**Now, my lambs, _to Slaughter!_**"

The first swipe, from the arms on the creature's right side, sent strikes like a hail of bullets storming across Alternis' flesh, _not even connecting with his armour on the way through_, and a shout of pain tore from his lips, the light vanishing from his blade as the last strike connected with his helmet. None of the others had time to act before another thrust came from the arms on the monster's left side, then the right, then the left, then the right again - a storm of blows surging across the four of them.

Ringabel connected with the edge of the window.

Edea collided with the bookshelves nearby.

Tiz was sent tumbling over the railing.

And Agnès slammed into the bars he had just passed, slumping to the ground.

A long moment of silence.

Then Airy reached down, picking up the fallen brooch - which had been drawing in the First Light from the Holy Pillar all this time. The darkness around her steamed out, and slowly her body began to condense once more, until the fairy's figure stood on the bridge of a rocking Grandship.

"I wasn't certain that was going to work," she admitted, affixing the brooch over her torso once more. "I've never Slaughtered more than three lambs at a time before."

Then she turned away, soaring towards the windows - and they tore like paper, leaving the ship rocking within the Holy Pillar as she soared to the next world waiting for her.

* * *

Draco: My intent... _one_ of my intentions with this fic is to screw your mind to hell. I'm still not entirely certain which path this is going to take, but I'll figure it out.


	13. Something Is Wrong Here

Draco: To my guest reader(s): If you have questions, it would probably be a good idea to log in so I can answer your questions, because I'm not going to address you from here, especially if you don't give a screen name.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: Something Is Wrong Here**

"Just three more..."

Airy glanced at the emblem on her wings as she soared up through the Great Chasm, the pattern changing from a _4_ to a _3_. She had found through experience that the Holy Pillar always acted ahead of her in any given world - the crystals would be consumed in darkness, and the Great Chasm opened upon the Norende Flatlands, a week before she arrived, providing the wind vestal enough time to escape the Harena region and arrive in Caldisla.

Enough time for her and the survivor of Norende to arrive at the Great Chasm, and meet the cryst-fairy like an ally.

_Three more worlds, and the boundaries shall be broken. Just put up with this nonsense three more times, and then Lord Ouroboros shall pierce the Celestial Realm._ With those hopeful thoughts, she soared up to meet Agnès on the cliff face overlooking the chasm.

The cliff in question was empty.

"What the...?" She glanced around, looking for the vestal. "Where is she...?"

Voices from the Norende Ravine. One was the adventurer who she knew to follow the Warriors of Light about. The other was much younger, nearly familiar. _Egil?_ Airy muttered to herself. _I am **not** in the mood to deal with **him** right_ _now!_

She quickly dove beneath the rim of the ravine, finding a conveniently-sized gap in the stone that she could flit into. If she kept her wings within that crag, no one would see her as she peeked out, waiting in case the vestal should show up.

The figure that rushed to the edge of the chasm was not Egil, though his figure much resembled that of the canary boy. But his hair was a light shade of grey, and his garments belonged in Norende.

_Tiz? But he looks so young... Is this his brother Til?_ She shook her head. _That doesn't make any sense. Tiz keeps letting his little brother fall. Even if Til managed to get ahead, and it was Tiz falling in, he'd just get dragged along with him if he tried to grab his hand. What's going on?_

+x+x+x+

The cryst-fairy waited until Til left the chasm at dawn the next day, having searched the surrounding woods and the wreckage of Grandship for signs of life. As soon as he disappeared into the ravine, Airy flew out, looking around for Agnès. This was _not_ good - she would never be able to pierce the world-walls without a vestal to set the crystals to rampage.

She gave up at twilight - knowing that no vestal would be out on her own, in grounds plagued with monsters, after sundown.

A gleam off the setting sun caught her attention. Curious, she flew down towards the source of the reflection - impaled in the stone there was a katana, nearly tumbled out, with its own sheath dangling off the flat of the blade.

"What the hell?" She looked over the weapon carefully. "This looks... kinda familiar." An engraving on the blade caught her eye - a lot of swords were engraved with and addressed after their swordsmith, and she tried to read it; when that failed, she managed to draw it out of the crevice walls without dropping it into the chasm, setting it on the great hole's rim - without a vestal to accompany, she was stuck with whatever piqued her curiosity. Once she was certain that the blade wouldn't fall._  
_

_Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Fujariwa-no-Nobutsuna_

"Kamiizumi?" Airy murmured. "Edea's swordmaster?" _That means this is the sword he gave her before she joined the Sky Knights. But what is it doing here?_ An angry scoff passed through her lips as she sat down at the edge of the hole. "Damn that Dark Knight!" she snapped. "I _knew_ something was going to go wrong if I got hit while we were in the Pillar!"_  
_

She slammed her hand into the katana.

Then she swore heavily, gripping her hand where it had skimmed the blade's edge.

_Bringing Warriors of Light between worlds disrupts the worlds to accommodate them_, she reprimanded herself, sitting down on the chasm's edge next to Ise-no-Kami. _I didn't think it was gonna be anything serious. The first round basically didn't have anything different but the fact that they didn't run into **themselves**. Now I'm stuck with the shepherd's little brother and _**_no vestal_**_. _

She shook her head. _This never would have happened if Dim hadn't interrupted in the middle of the Gathering_, she snapped. _I should have Slaughtered them all before we went to the 4. Why did I hesitate? Two extra targets didn't weaken my blows! Dealing with that tagalong from the 6 wouldn't have done shit! _Airy glared down at the chasm, flipping the bird into the hole.

"Screw you, Dim!" she snapped. "The both of you! Screw you, Lee! And screw you, Arrior!"

A sneer rose on her face. "And _you,_ vestal... screw you _twice!_"

+x+x+x+

Two days passed with no sign of the vestal, and the second day had Til Arrior returning at noon. Airy had taken precautions to hide Ise-no-Kami in the edge of the foliage to avoid giving him a weapon, but the sight of Til armed with a broadsword, a dagger, and a buckler quickly shot down any preconceived notions she had about him. He had several men with him as he arrived, but they quickly dismissed themselves; Til assured them it was alright and began to work. His attempt at mixing concrete went off badly, and Airy couldn't help but wince when she saw him stop with the compound half-mixed, laying bricks and lathering them idly - it looked like he was building a shelter for himself or his supplies.

The sun set before he was done his sixth layer of bricks; by then his determination had given way to surrender, and he lay back against the bricks. Airy couldn't make out what he was trying to say, but she caught his tone sure enough - self-insult quickly became despair, and he curled up against the half-built wall, crying into his arms.

Airy didn't like this - but this boy was the only one coming around the chasm, and she _needed_ to find out where Oblige was. As he started back, she took her chances, flying out over the chasm. Deciding it best not to show herself immediately, she ducked below the rim she had hidden in the previous day.

"Um, hello?"

A moment's pause; then Til shouted, "Who's there?"

Airy hesitated. "What are you trying to do, here?"

"Show yourself!" For a little kid, he could definitely put some power into his words. Airy could see why Egil had reminded Tiz of this kid.

"Alright, alright! Relax!"

Slowly, she flew out over the rim of the chasm, looking at the boy; he had the broadsword in a two-handed grip that left it dragging on the ground behind him. Airy couldn't see him possibly putting that to any good use - he'd be better off using the dagger on his belt - and she began to wonder if hiding Ise-no-Kami in the trees was such a waste of time after all. His eyes were red from crying, and his face was just a little bit streaky.

Til eyed Airy for a long moment; then he sighed, lowering his fighting stance. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm Airy," she said kindly, putting on the same act she had done when introducing herself to Tiz at Agnès. "And you?"

"Til," he replied. Glancing over Airy's figure, he asked, "What the heck are you?"

Airy was rather taken aback by that. "Ah-! _Rude!_" she protested. "Don't look at me like I'm some kind of monster!"

Til shook his head. "You've got wings, you could fit inside my head, hair doesn't come in colours like that," - at that point Airy actually brought her hair in front of herself; her particular hue of platinum blonde was a little more _pink_ than humans had, but it didn't come even _close_ to the girls in Florem - "and you sound like a little girl. If you're not a monster, you really make it look like one."

_This kid must not have run into the Sky Knights yet,_ Airy muttered. As far as attitudes went, Barras and Holly were _way_ more monstrous than she could ever hope to be. Apathy is one thing; sadism is a whole 'nother kettle of sharks. She was going to have to try that the next time she Slaughtered the Warriors of Light. "Look, I'm not a monster, okay?" she insisted. "I'm a cryst-fairy."

"A what-fairy?" Til mused. With a shake of his head, he protested, "Look, I gotta get back to town before the undead monsters start showing up. I'm already running out of potions. Just leave me alone, alright?" He started to turn away, the sword dragging behind him.

"Wait!" Airy insisted. "Maybe you can help me! I'm looking for a girl. She calls herself the vestal of-"

Til groaned. "You too?" he whined. "I already beat up Barras and Holly over this. There's no vestal in Caldisla, there's never _been_ a vestal in Caldisla, the king doesn't know anything about it. She probably got off the boat on her way here. Go back to Eternia and tell your contacts in Ancheim that they were wrong! Just _leave us alone, okay?!_"

Airy hovered back in a shock as Til turned away and started into the cavern.

_He beat up Barras and Holly? By himself? What **is** this kid?_

+x+x+x+

Olivia didn't get to sleep that night before she heard the inn doors open. She lit a candle next to her bedside as the door shut, hearing footsteps up the stairs. She was rather surprised to see the boy Til coming up the steps with a candle of his own.

"You know," she said kindly to him, "it's not good for you to be up late all the time. Especially at the time you get up in the morning."

"I'm not trying to," Til insisted, making his way to his bed. "It just happens."

A sigh passed through Olivia's lips. "I suppose I'm one to talk, huh," she admitted. "Always being up when you get here."

Til shrugged. "You're older than me," he replied. "I figure you're allowed to be up all the time."

"What's been keeping you so late?" Olivia asked. "You must have a good reason, I'm sure."

"A couple different reasons, really," Til admitted. "The other night I was dealing with the Sky Knights from Eternia. They had an airship parked on the lake. I didn't want them giving me or the town a lot of hassle. The king said they were causing trouble, looking for the wind vestal."

Olivia started when Til mentioned those words.

The Norende boy didn't seem to notice. "Then today I was out where Norende used to be."

"Wait, _used_ to be?" Olivia asked, worried. "What do you mean?"

Til sighed. "A little longer than a week ago, after the Sky Knights showed up, there was this big light in Norende. A girl from the Sky Knights - her name was Edea - she was helping me and my brother Tiz with the sheep, saying she was sorry about their airship scaring them. When the light showed up, the earth started to fall apart. Edea was the one who stopped me and Tiz from falling into the hole. She told me to climb up her and Tiz." His voice was starting to crack. "When I got up, there was this big shake around the edges of the hole. She and Tiz fell in..." He gasped heavily, trying to breathe. "And I couldn't do anything to stop them..."

Olivia was suddenly regretting her decision to ask. Til closed his eyes, curling up on the edge of his bed and starting to cry. The water vestal weighed her chances; then she stepped forward, pulling the boy forward and pressing her head against his shoulder.

Til was confused. "What...?"

"I thought you'd want a little human comfort," Olivia admitted.

The Norende boy hesitated just ever so briefly; then he returned the hug, letting his tears flow again.

A long moment passed with the two of them like that, arms wrapped around each other; then Til pulled away, sitting back on his bed. "Thanks, Miss Olivia."

"Just Olivia is fine," the vestal insisted. "I'm sorry for asking you about that."

"No, it's okay," Til assured her. "I feel better now that I've told someone."

Olivia sighed. "So... what were you doing there today?" she asked.

Til shook his head. "Just something stupid," he replied. "I thought I could put the village back together myself. I don't know what I was thinking. I can't mix things right, I can't line the bricks up, I can hardly move the wheelbarrow that the things are in. It was a dumb idea since I came up with it."

"No, no," Olivia corrected. "It's great you want to fix the village. You're just... trying too hard, is all. If you got some help-"

"The king can't help me," Til protested. "His guard is busy dealing with the Sky Knights. And the townspeople aren't going to help a little kid with a big job like this."

"You don't know that," Olivia countered. "You haven't tried."

Til scoffed. "Well they're not going to after they see the little girl monster at the chasm."

Olivia couldn't help but chuckle just a bit. "Little girl monster?" she asked.

"Yeah, she said her name was Airy," Til replied. "Tiny little girl, like, the size of half my arm. She was in this tiny dress, her hair was this weird whitey-pink colour, and she had a pair of butterfly wings. She said she was a Christmas fairy, or something. She was looking for the wind vestal, too."

"Wait, a what_-_fairy?" Olivia's amusement had vanished in an instant.

"I don't know," Til said apologetically. "She was talking too fast. I think she was mad at me for calling her a monster. It was 'Kristen', or something."

"A _cryst-fairy?_" Olivia's eyes were wide.

Til was surprised by that. "Does that mean something?" he asked. "She's not gonna eat me in my sleep, or something, is she?"

Olivia looked around the empty inn. Keeping her voice as quiet as she could, in case someone unfavourable were to hear, she asked, "Do you believe in the crystals?"

"Crystals?" Til mused. "I've heard something about that before. One of the old shepherds, in Norende. He said... how did it go?" He angled his head back, thinking. "Um... _Dauntless seeker... offer your prayers unto the crystals_."

"_So, too, shall the vestal, in accordance with the teachings,_" Olivia continued. "_Their resplendent light shall cleave a path..._"

"..._through darkest night, and banish fear from every shadow,_" Til finished, "You know about it?"

"That's the most important passage from the scriptures of Crystalism," Olivia replied. "The faith entrusting the world to the care of the crystals."

Til angled his head. "Who _are_ you?"

Olivia sighed heavily. "I am Olivia Oblige. The vestal of water."

"Vestal?" Til's eyes went wide. "Wait, are you the one the Sky Knights are after?"

"No, they're looking for the vestal of wind," Olivia insisted. "But... I think I might be able to change their minds about that. Look," she asked, "tomorrow, can you take me to the Great Chasm? I want to meet with this cryst-fairy you mentioned."

"I think..." Til nodded. "Yeah, I can do that."

* * *

Draco: Progress! To some extent.


	14. Meeting With The Cryst-Fairy

Draco: I've got 14 chapters done in five days. Lack of gameplay judgement and a relatively short opening chapter might have something to do with it, but the fact remains that this thing is going have a very large Chapters number when I'm done with it.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: Meeting With The Cryst-Fairy**

Til and Olivia got up at noon the next morning. After a short meal courtesy of the innkeep, they got up to leave, Olivia eager to head out to the chasm.

The Norende boy stopped her before she could leave the town. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"The cryst-fairy is at the chasm, right?" Olivia asked.

"Okay, two things," Til insisted. "One, do you know how to get to Norende from here?"

Olivia angled her head. "No," she admitted, "but I know how to read a map."

"Do you have a map?"

"No..."

Til shook his head. "And, two, you can't just go running out of here with just a knife. The plains and the ravine are packed Goblins. You need to be prepared."

Olivia searched her pockets and came up empty-handed. "I've only got 300 pg," she murmured. "The equipment in Florem was too expensive. I've got Potions and some other curatives, but I couldn't afford any good weapons or armour."

A sigh from Til. "Alright, come on," he replied. "I'll get you some stuff from the armoury. I've got money"

"How do you have money?" Olivia asked. "Does shepherding really make that much?"

"Not really," Til admitted. "When monsters die, and they disappear in that puff of red smoke, some parts of them get transformed into pg. It's like a reward for fighting, or something. I've made the trip to Norende twice and went to the lake to deal with the Sky Knights in between. I've got enough for a set of gear for you."

Olivia blinked. "I've never fought monsters before," she admitted. "I've never had reason to..."

+x+x+x+

They got Olivia equipped to fight - she opted for a wooden staff rather than a sword, as well as a buckler and a cuirass like Til's. Once she was ready, Til led her out of the city and towards Norende Ravine.

"I want to see how you fight," he told Olivia. "I'll move in if you need help, okay?"

"Alright," Olivia admitted.

They ran into a Goblin to fight before too long. The monster rushed them, but Olivia only stepped forward, thrusting the edge of the staff towards it. The blow caused the Goblin to stumble back, but Olivia didn't have a chance to strike again before it lashed out towards her. She tried to deflect the knife with her shield, but it still slashed painfully across her leg. Annoyed, she lashed out at the Goblin again, landing a pair of quick hits this time; that seemed to be enough, as the creature quickly tumbled to the ground, vanishing in a mist of red and purple and - as Til had said - leaving a few coins behind.

"That was good," Til admitted. "Probably be a better idea to Brave and deal with it all at the same time, though."

Olivia turned to him. "Brave?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

Til was surprised. "You've never done anything even a little like fighting before?"

"No," Olivia admitted. "Vestals live in their temples. Every time I've ever run into a monster, I've just started running away."

A sigh from Til. "That's not gonna be good if you run into the Sky Knights," he admitted. "They've got these weird little crystal stone things that bring up a barrier. Barras said it was an asterisk, or something? You can't run until you take them down."

Olivia was confused at that. "Asterisk?"

The battle cry of another Goblin brought them to focus. "Here," Til said, getting back on track, "I'll show you what I was talking about when I said Brave." He pulled his dagger from his belt, holding it before him. "You can only move so fast by yourself, right? But look for that bravery, way deep inside you. Then bring it up... and just..."

He held the dagger towards the Goblin, waiting; then he lashed it down.

"Brave!"

A flare of crimson lit up around him, causing Olivia to shout, and he rushed forward, a lot faster than Olivia had seen him move. He struck down at the Goblin once, then twice, moving faster than he should have been able to; the Goblin quickly vanished, leaving his coins behind.

"Woah..." Olivia was surprised. "How did you...?"

"Everyone's got a little power inside them," Til insisted. "You just gotta look for it. But the problem is..." He reached down, his body moving at half speed as he picked up the coins that the Goblin had dropped. "If you Brave without preparing for it first, then you're stuck moving really slow for a bit until its back to normal - depends on how much you Brave. Most people just stop moving until they can feel it come back."

Olivia blinked. "Feel it?"

Then she saw the Goblin right behind Til.

"Behind you!"

Til turned, but Olivia moved first. She swung her staff at her side so it wouldn't get caught on anything on the ground - and that flare of crimson lit up around her. She felt her body move forward at almost double speed, and she quickly lashed her staff into its head before coming around and striking it in the back of the head, knocking it into mist.

Then the energy left her body, and she felt almost stuck in place.

"There, that was good," Til praised, picking up the Goblin's coins. "You feel that? It's like you don't have any power, right? That's your Bravery run out on you."

Olivia set her staff on the ground. "Is there a way to stop that from happening?"

"Yeah, there can be," Til replied. "Not worth the time if you're just dealing with Goblin squads, though. But here, I'll show you." He pulled his Buckler out from under his broadsword. "The way Bravery works, is that you can go fast, and then get stuck still until it comes back - _or_ you can go still right away, and then get to go fast afterwards."

Another Goblin cried out to them, and he turned around to face it. "See, you just hold your shield in front of you you, or your weapon if you don't have a shield, and wait for the guy you're blocking to get close. When they get close enough to hit you, you just gotta kinda _freeze_ your body like that." The Goblin started rushing forward, and Til waited until it was already swinging its knife.

"Default!"

His body went impossibly still, and as the Goblin's knife connected with his shield Olivia saw a shockwave of blue pass from the meeting point. The Goblin bounced away, then tried to rush him again.

Til lashed his knife down. "Brave!" A flare of crimson lit up around him, and he quickly slashed the Goblin to pieces in a short moment.

Olivia was astonished. "Interesting..."

"It takes a bit of practice to keep a level on your bravery," Til admitted. "Me and Tiz used to do it while we were shepherding. The problem is that if you Default and then don't do anything with the bravery for a bit, then it just kinda evens out on its own."

"So you can't just Default and save it for later?" Olivia asked.

"No," Til replied. "Well... I think if you do it in one long fight then it might work, but I don't know. I've never really fought much more than Goblins."

+x+x+x+

The two of them made their way through the ravine with ease once Olivia got used to Braving against the Goblin squads. It wasn't long before they made it to the end of the ravine - and Til wasn't entirely surprised to see the adventurer standing there again.

"Anyone come through here?" he asked.

The adventurer shook his head. "Not since yesterday," he replied, glancing at Olivia. "Brought a friend this time?"

Til shrugged. "Yeah."

"I see..." He sighed. "So it's time, then."

"Time?" Olivia asked. "What for?"

"Oh, don't mind me..."

Til touched Olivia's arm to get her attention. "Come on," she insisted, "let's get going."

He led her through the gap in the stones, and out onto the cliff overlooking the Great Chasm.

Olivia stumbled to a stop when she saw the massive hole in the earth. "Oh... Oh, _mizu_, what...? What has happened here?"

Til nodded. "Yeah," he admitted. "That's kinda what I felt like, too."

Slowly, Olivia stepped forward, past Til's half-finished bricks, and fell to her knees at the cliff's edge. With a sob, she closed her eyes, pressing her hands together before her. Til left her alone, looking around the chasm.

"Hello~?" he called. "Airy? Are you still here?"

Silence.

"I'm sorry I got mad at you! I... I got some things wrong. I'm not gonna hurt you!"

Silence.

"Please, come out! I just want to talk to you! Please..."

Silence still.

Til sighed, sitting down on his mess of bricks. "Figures she'd take off before I got here. I'm sorry, Olivia."

The two of them remained there for a long time, alone in that silence.

A gleam of the setting sun caught Til's eyes. Curious, he turned towards it, seeing something catching light from under a bush. Leaving Olivia where she was, the Norende boy got to his feet and made his way towards it.

He was surprised by what he saw - a sword with an arced blade, its sheath tied around the handle.

"No way," he breathed, picking the weapon up. "This is Edea's sword. What... what's it doing here?" He quickly made his way back to the bricks, untying the sheath's strap and holding the sword before him. "So cool. It's so much lighter than a normal sword. And its so sharp." He held the weapon carefully in one hand, finding it just a little bit harder than holding a knife. "I think I could use this..."

"I was worried about that."

A yelp from Til as he spun around. Airy was floating there, over his set of bricks. After realizing what it was that was talking to him from so close, he sighed heavily, picking up the sheath and sliding Edea's sword into it. "Why didn't you show up sooner?" he asked. "I said I wasn't gonna hurt you."

"I didn't think you were gonna stay on that," Airy reprimanded. "Now, what do you want?"

"Oh, right." He held the sheathed weapon in both hands and stepped towards Olivia at the cliff's edge. "Um, are you okay?"

"Yes, I... I'm alright," Olivia murmured. Slowly, she got to her feet, still looking out over the chasm. "I didn't expect anything quite this... massive."

Til suddenly felt rather guilty about bringing her to this. "I'm sorry..."

Olivia shook her head. "No, I chose to come here. It's better that I did. Now I see just firsthand what darkness she had spoken about."

"Um... 'she'?" Til asked.

"It's nothing," Olivia insisted. "Pay me no mind. Now..." She turned to face Til.

And found herself face-to-face with Airy.

"Wha-?"

"Wah!" Olivia stumbled back, one foot resting with its edge over the edge of the chasm. "No way..."

Airy closed her eyes with a heavy breath. "Vestal of the Water Crystal, Olivia Oblige."

Olivia nodded. "Y-yes," she replied, looking over Airy in amazement. "Are you...?"

"A cryst-fairy," she confirmed.

"I had thought the scriptures were legends of another realm," Olivia breathed. "I never..."

"I'm Airy. It's a pleasure."

* * *

Draco: {claps hands idly} Okay. I'm going to _try_ and take a break from this thing and see if I can get through another playthrough of this game. Sayonara imanotokoro.


	15. Demon and Crowe

Draco: I **_can_****_not_** submit to a hiatus.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: Demon and Crowe**

"How does this even work?"

Til, Olivia, and Airy were making their way out of the Norende ravine. Edea's sword was tearing through Goblins like butter in Til's hands - Olivia had actually taken the broadsword from him, deciding it would only slow him down. "A sword this light shouldn't be doing so much damage."

"I think it's just the way it's forged," Olivia replied. "A katana is designed for cutting. That means less width, more length, and a sharp edge with a curve. That kind of design makes it lighter than straight-edged weapons."

"A wha?" Til asked, turning to him.

"_From_ Wa," Olivia corrected. "A Wa-style sword is called a katana."

Til nodded. "Okay." He turned around, holding the sword in front of him. "You know, for a temple girl, you know a lot about weapons."

Olivia shook her head. "Not really," she admitted. "There were a lot of old scriptures in the Temple of Wind that I would read when I grew bored. Most of them were come from the Age of Myths. There were several notes added into them in case a reader might not understand. Wa-style weapons were featured in some of the ones I enjoyed most."

"Wait, the wind temple?" Til asked. "I thought you said you were the water vestal."

"I am," Olivia admitted. "The Temples of Wind and Water rest in Ancheim and Florem. The two kingdoms are connected by the Flor-Cheim sea, so the temples often correspond with one another. I was raised as a vestaling in the Temple of Wind; when I became a vestal in full, I moved to the Temple of Water to take up my position."

Til nodded. "I think I get it," he admitted. "But, doesn't that mean you need to get back to the Water Crystal? You can't just leave it behind, can you?"

Olivia shook her head. "No, you're right," she insisted. "It's not only that I shouldn't leave it alone. A week and a bit ago, around the same time the chasm opened here, a horrid darkness struck the Temple of Water. Its light was consumed, and monsters began to become greater all across the region. I intended to travel to Ancheim, so that I could ask the acolytes there if they knew anything to alleviate this darkness."

"Acolytes?" Til inquired.

"Aides to the vestals," Olivia explained. "Their prayers help to augment our own to nurture the crystal. When we are absent or ill, and unable to provide, they care for the crystal in our stead." Her gaze fell. "I hope that they will be able to help us. My own acolytes were of no assistance."

Til set a hand on Olivia's arm. "It's alright," he insisted. "We'll get you there."

Olivia shook her head. "How?" she asked. "The oceans have rotted through. The winds have died. Ships can't sail."

"Not on the water, they can't," Til corrected.

"What...?" A moment's pause; then Olivia started. "You mean...?"

Til nodded. "The Sky Knights have an airship. If we talk to them, maybe they can take us to Ancheim."

"The duchy wants the vestals as prisoners," Olivia insisted.

"Do the Sky Knights know you're a vestal?" Til asked.

Olivia fell quiet at that.

+x+x+x+

"You were taken down by _who_?"

Barras had his mouth shut, willingly. That was the one bright spot on Heinkel's very dark day. He and Holly had brought back the _Eschalot_ to the Lontano Villa with the revelation that they had been driven out of the southern Caldis lake. That was bad enough; what shocked Heinkel was _who_.

"A kid," Holly confirmed. "Didn't even come up to my knee. The brat doesn't hit that hard, but he definitely knows his way around his courage." She scoffed. "It's my fault. I made a crack about him not hitting hard enough to outmatch a healer; then he went for me and kept me down long enough that I couldn't heal Barras. He snatched the asterisks, too."

"He t-t-t-t-took your asterisks!?" Ominas protested. "What were you d-d-d-d-doing?"

"He snatched 'em while we were down!" Barras shouted. "He takes you down, he's gonna get at yours, too."

"Do you take me f-f-f-f-for a fool?" the black mage snapped. "I'll ch-ch-ch-char him black before he g-g-g-gets at mine!"

Heinkel stepped forward before things got out of hand. "Enough," he insisted. "Crowe, you'll return to your position at Centro Keep. Barras, Holly, you'll go to the chasm at Norende and..."

A sound from the villa's communications array cut him off, drawing everyone's attention in the progress. Heinkel made a "Hold that thought" motion with his hand and stepped forward, setting his hand on the transmitter. "Lontano Villa, Eternian Sky Knight occupation, Argent Heinkel."

_"I told you it was a shorter transmission wave."_ The voice that came through was echoed through a helmet: Dark Knight Alternis Dim. Eternian Central Command had their transmission and reception on different feeds, and Heinkel knew from experience that Alternis had a habit of keeping his hand on the transmitter when trying to make contact. _"Eternian Central Command, Alternis Dim. We've received word from the Bloodrose Legion that the vestal of water has escaped to Caldisla."_

"We were told it was the vestal of _wind_ that had come," Heinkel demanded. "Do you mean to tell me we were sent here without due reason?"

_"The wind vestal departed at the shores of Florem on the vessel's route to Caldisla,__"_ Alternis replied. _"The water vestal boarded a different vessel and should have arrived by now. No word from the Legion on the wind vestal, but Victor has shut himself in the White Magic Circulation Hub for about a week, now. I believe he and Victoria have made contact with the wind vestal. No word yet on her present condition."_

He didn't need to specify which 'her'. Even Heinkel cringed at the mention of the arcanist - an encounter with her would be crippling at best.

With a sigh, the knight hit the transmitter again. "We'll keep an eye out for the vestal of water. Physical description?"

_"Age 17. Blue hair from contact with the Water Crystal. Otherwise, she nearly matches the vestal of wind. Known to favour blue garments."_

"Understood. If we find her, we'll apprehend her and bring her to Eternia."

He released the transmission and turned to the Sky Knights. "Crowe," he repeated, "the Keep. Barras, Holly, the chasm. Eyes out for the vestal."

"Do we get to take the ship?" Barras asked._  
_

"No."

+x+x+x+

Til and Olivia arrived at Caldisla in the darkness approaching midnight. Quietly, they opened the door, finding the innkeep reading at the counter. A few sparse words passed between the three of them; then they made their way to the rest area, sitting down on their usual beds.

Airy popped out of the air, sitting down next to Olivia.

"Til, right?" she asked of the Norende boy. "You said you could convince the Sky Knights to let us use their airship. How do you intend to do that?"

"I told the Sky Knights that there's no vestal in Caldisla," Til admitted. "I didn't know Olivia was here. If they don't know she's a vestal, then we should be able to convince them to let us use their airship."

Olivia shook her head. "Why would they do that?" she asked. "Are you on good terms with them?"

Til shook his head. "That girl Edea who visited Norende was with the Sky Knights. She told me they're not supposed to hurt anyone who doesn't hurt them first. If we talk nice to them, they might help us."

"You said you beat them up," Airy protested.

"That's because Barras and Holly were threatening the village," Til reprimanded. "Edea said that he doesn't usually listen. Barras, I mean. I think he might have just heard something the wrong way."

Olivia sighed. "We can give it a try," she murmured.

Til nodded. "We'll talk with the king tomorrow, see if he knows about where they went."

"Alright," Olivia agreed. "Good night, Til."

"Good night, Olivia."

+x+x+x+

The next day, Owen was kind enough to give them a heading; the _Eschalot_ had taken off north from the city, past the Centro Ruins and off to the king's Lontano Villa. He apologized for being unable to join them, but Til assured him it was alright; then he and Olivia got a few supplies and took off north.

No sooner had they stepped inside than a loud stutter caught their ears. "Don't tell me B-B-B-_Barras_ ordered you back here!" Til glanced in the direction of the noise, catching sight of a closed gate; as he approached it, he heard the voice continue. "You're under _my_ c-c-c-command now! Barras is n-n-n-not in this unit! 'Barras made me d-d-d-do it' isn't any excuse!"

He caught sight of the source of the stuttering: a man in black robes, swinging what looked like a casting rod at a row of five Sky Knights - he must have been one of their officers.

One of the Sky Knights tried to explain. "It wasn't just him," he insisted. "There's was nothing of interest-"

"I t-t-t-_told_ you to stay there and k-k-k-keep a lookout!" he snapped. "If you had t-t-t-time to mess with someone's c-c-c-c-construction project, you had time to f-f-f-find a good spot for rec-c-c-c-connaissance!"

"Construction project?" Olivia's whisper came from nearby; Til turned to see her standing next to him, looking at the Sky Knights. "They must have gone to the chasm. Were they looking for you?"

Til shrugged. "Maybe they wanted Barras and Holly's stones back," he murmured. "Guess they're worth more than I thought."

"You called them 'asterisks'?" Olivia asked. Til nodded, prompting another question; "Did you bring them with you?"

"Yeah," Til assured her, reaching into his pocket.

He drew out one of the stones - just a touch smaller than his fist - and handed it to Olivia. The vestal of water accepted the stone carefully, looking over it with a curious gaze. It was a simple brilliant-cut figure that felt like crystal, segmented in two pieces; the cone was deep black, such that light seemed not to penetrate it, while the surface was bright gold, marked with a white-brimmed, conical white hat. Yet when she angled it enough in either direction, the emblem seemed to vanish, replaced with a simplistic six-pointed star of vast white.

Til glanced around. "Come on," he prompted quietly. "I think we can get to that room from further in. Looks like they chained the hold gates shut; we'll have to talk to him and see if he'll get them open. If he's busy getting mad at his soldiers, it'd be better to give him a little time than try to get his attention from here."

+x+x+x+

Centro Keep was three floors, all of them filled with spear-wielding Orcs and Cait Siths with quarterstaves. Til only tore through the monsters with Edea's sword, and it didn't take him long to figure out how the various switch-gates worked; he easily led Olivia through the ruins until they arrived back at the first, with the commander having transitioned from a chewing-out to fresh orders.

Til had intended to wait until he finished before he spoke; however, no sooner had he tried to stop himself from entering than he slipped on some liquid that had spilled across the floor. His yelp got the entire group's attention, causing the soldiers to glance back as the commander raised his gaze. With a grunt of mild pain, Til got to his feet, looking at his hands.

"What's this?" He sniffed his hand lightly. "Oil?"

"You!" the officer snapped. Til turned to him, an apology halfway out his mouth before he realized his gaze was fixed on Olivia. "The v-v-v-v-_vestal_!"

Olivia stepped back as the Sky Knight soldiers turned to face her. "What!?"

"How are you _here?_" he protested. "Is no one under me competent?" He swung his staff forward. "The lot of you, d-d-d-deal with them!"

The soldiers drew their swords.

Til, in turn, drew Edea's.

One of them rushed forward, but the Norende boy struck the weapon away from its blow, leaping up and kicking the soldier's hands to knock the weapon out. Another tried to stab him, but Til only sidestepped it, cutting the handle off of the weapon. A third came up from his back, but Til quickly reached for his belt, beating the weapon away with his knife; then he kicked the soldier between the legs with enough force to dislodge his codpiece, prompting a yelp of pain.

"I thought you were a shepherd," Olivia murmured when she saw the soldier tumble aside.

Til dodged another soldier's earthward swipe, kicking the grip away with his foot. "You have any idea how fast a sheep runs?" he prompted. The last soldier rushed him with a side swipe, but he managed to drop under the blow, kicking him in the legs hard enough to shift his armour; his attempt to step forward knocked him over, and Til quickly hooked Edea's katana on sword's hilt and yanked it out of his hand.

The commander fumed for a moment, stomping the ground angrily. Til got to his feet before he could try anything else, holding Edea's sword in front of him protectively and slipping his knife under his belt so his other hand was free. "Don't get the wrong idea!" he insisted. "She's not the wind vestal-!"

"I _know_ she's not the w-w-w-_wind_ vestal!" the officer countered. "She's the _water_ vestal! From F-F-F-F-_Florem!_"

Olivia held her staff before her. "You said they didn't know I was a vestal!" she protested.

"I thought they didn't!" Til insisted.

"_Enough!_" the Sky Knight commander snapped. "My f-f-f-f-_fire_ will make ash of the lot of you!"_  
_

Flames began to spark at the tip of his staff, and Olivia's gaze shot around the room.

Oil spread across the floor that Til had slipped on.

Flints piled carelessly in the near corners of the room.

_Rotten animal carcasses against the wall behind the officer._

"Til, get back!"

She rushed forward, grabbing Til's hand and dragging him back as magic ringed the commander.

And a surge of flame lit up where the Norende boy had been just moments before, not even millimetres from the floor.

Instants passed before an inferno began raging across the oil. The Sky Knight soldiers that Til had incapacitated gave shouts of horror as the blaze consumed them, and Olivia could only watch in horror as the flames chased towards the piled flints. The moment they connected, the piles _exploded,_ sending shrapnel tearing out from the corners of the room and silencing the soldiers' screams. Even the mage gave a yelp, stepping back to avoid the flame as the shrapnel passed him, causing it to strike the carcasses behind him and setting them alight.

"He's killing his own people," Til gasped, horrified at what the spellcaster was doing.

Olivia grit her teeth. "We need to get out of here."

Til turned to her. "But-!"

"They know I'm the vestal," Olivia reprimanded. "He's not going to help us through. We need to think of something else!"

Giving up, Til followed her up the steps and _away_ from the pyromancer.

+x+x+x+

They ran into trouble on the third floor.

"Th-th-th-_there_ you are!" The stutter brought Til's dash to a halt when he saw the spellcaster step out from around the corner - after they had taken a dead end, trapping them. "You've nowhere to run, now!"

"What the...?" Til glanced back behind him before asking, "How did you-?"

"The gates open f-f-f-from _inside_ on the g-g-g-ground floor," the mage reprimanded "I just had to l-l-l-let the flames die down a bit."

Olivia braced her staff before you. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"B-B-B-Black Mage Ominas Crowe," the pyromancer introduced, aiming his casting rod at them. "Don't think I'll l-l-l-let you take _me_ down like B-B-Barras did!"

Til set a hand on Edea's katana. "If you're gonna fight us," he mused, "you better open up a real arena. You're just gonna burn yourself with a fire in a hall like this!"

Ominas lowered his rod, digging through his pockets. "Knew I f-f-f-f-forgot something," he muttered. "You'd think the Sk-k-k-k-ky Knights wouldn't be wearing f-f-f-f-flammable armour." He drew out what he was looking for - an asterisk, just like Til had taken from Barras and Holly, and quickly swept three lines on the floor of the ruins with his rod, forming the six-pointed star that Olivia had seen on Til's stones.

The faint mark lit up suddenly, sending a _wave_ of blue light out across the three of them.

When it faded, the three of them were in that familiar circular battlefield - Til, Olivia, and Ominas.

A flare of magic lit up around the mage, and Til quickly leapt out of the way as another burst of flame lit up where he had been. He landed with a twist, so he connected with his back - which left his hands free to draw Edea's katana, quickly swinging at Ominas' casting rod. The prongs at the head seemed to be a sturdy type of metal, which Ominas used to beat the attack away; nonetheless, it left him open for Olivia to move in, thrusting her staff at his back and catching him off-guard.

Til used it to his advantage, swiping at Ominas' legs as he got to his feet. The pyromancer fell to his legs, and Olivia drove her staff into his hand, forcing the rod out of his grip. Nonetheless, Ominas proved surprisingly adept; he grabbed Olivia's staff, wrenching it out of his hands and slamming it into her side to knock her to the ground; then he threw it at her like a javelin, causing it to collide with the peak of her spine as he grabbed his own weapon. Til was already swinging for him, but he pinned the flat of the blade against the ground, putting one foot on it as he struck Til's hands with his rod, forcing him to let go. Ominas aimed at Til unhesitatingly, rings of magic appearing around him.

"Fire!"

Til crossed his arms before himself. "Default!" he cried, hoping to minimize the pain.

He remembered too late that he had earlier slipped on _oil_.

The flame caught his garments and _erupted,_ tearing a scream of pain from his lips. His Default minimized the damage from the spell itself, but did nothing to stop the blaze that tore over him, and he fell to the ground, trying to force his body into a roll in an attempt to lessen the flames.

Ominas had his eye on the boy; so he most certainly wasn't expecting Olivia to come up behind him.

With a roar of anger, she drove her staff pointedly into his side, definitively cracking a rib at the contact. As the yelp started, she swung the flat of her weapon into the top of his skull - his pointed black hat lessened the blow somewhat, but didn't stop him from biting his tongue with a lot of force. Olivia didn't hesitate to strike him in the legs with her staff, knocking him to the ground; then she beat away his casting rod so he wouldn't have a channel for his magic.

She quickly rushed to Til, reaching into her pockets and drawing out a Potion; lacking a safer application, she cracked the bottle with her staff so the liquid would fall onto his burning back. The healing components of the drink were able to dilute the oil just enough that its chill could dull the heat of the flame; the moment his garments were safe to touch, she grabbed Til's knife, cutting his shirt open and tearing it off as best she could.

While she had been distracted with the healing, the battlefield had faded, leaving them in the dead-end hallway with Ominas Crowe.

"Til?" Olivia turned him upright to face her. "Til, speak to me!"

"I'm..." A gasp tore through Til's lips and he winced. "I'm... okay..." Slowly, he managed to get to his feet, making his way towards the fallen Sky Knight officer - and Olivia nearly shrieked when she saw the burns that had torn into him; his back had suffered the worst, though his sword arm was a close second.

Ominas, his weapon cast aside, could only watch as Til approached him, wincing with his every step. He bent down to grab the fallen katana, weakly sliding it into its sheath before continuing towards the black mage. Once he had arrived, he fell to one knee digging into the mage's pocket and grabbing what he had in there.

Slowly, he got to his feet, turning to Olivia to reveal the asterisk in his hands.

The water vestal only shook her head, stepping towards him. "Never mind the stone," she insisted as he slipped it into his pocket. "We need to get out of here. Come on!" She grabbed his indominant hand - the least burnt part of him - and led him out of the dead-end, leading him back the way they had been going before Ominas had intercepted them.

She was stopped when she heard Sky Knight shouts from down the stairs.

Olivia glanced down at Til, knowing he was in no condition to fend them off, and knowing that she wouldn't be able to deal with them herself. "Um, uh... He said the flames had died down! Back this way!"

They hadn't even made it to the room with the stairwell before she heard the soldiers shouting from there.

"Oh, _mizu_," she muttered, looking around back and forth - they were pinned between two units of soldiers and had _nowhere to go_.

Til heard the soldiers' shouts and pulled his less-burnt hand away from Olivia's, reaching into his (mostly-intact) belt pouch. He found what he was looking for before too long, grabbing Olivia's hand with his scorched one and drawing out a clear white stone.

Olivia noticed. "What...?"

"Hold on!" Til grunted, catching sight of the Sky Knights rounding the corner. With all the force he could muster, he threw the stone towards the ground.

It tumbled weakly and unimpressively.

One of the Sky Knights behind Olivia raised an arrow that was dripping with green liquid.

Then Til raised his foot, slamming it into the stone and shattering it; and Olivia was treated to an unpleasant sensation resembling the world turning 360 degrees seven times alternately on both its horizontal and vertical planes _simultaneously_.

In the soldiers' eyes, the two were merely wrapped in a swirling screen of light and vanished - leaving the archer's arrow to fly through where they had been and strike a comrade at the other end of the hallway.

+x+x+x+

Just outside Centro Keep, the two of them emerged from nowhere; to Olivia, the world simply faded from the top-floor ruins to the bridge outside. Her hand released Til's, and she quickly rushed past him to the side of the bridge.

Til was still in a haze from going through the teleportation in his burnt state. When he could see straight again, a sigh of relief passed through his lips. "I knew getting a Teleport Stone was a good idea," he murmured, turning to Olivia.

Her expression was one of most displeasure as she turned to face him, slumping against the bridge's railings.

An empathic wince crossed the Norende boy's face. "You... er, you didn't have breakfast, did you?" he asked warily.

"Yes," Olivia managed to force out. "But not anymore."

* * *

Draco: Assume that Teleport Stones are designed to fracture easily, and Til's inability to break one with his earthward throw is an indicator of his lack of bodily strength after being singed while oiled.

Disclaimer: Draconai Thunderus Inferanun Blizzantux Auracto claims no acknowledgement of the on-foot sprinting speed of the average Norende sheep. The assumption that a ten-year-old male Norende shepherd can accumulate the muscular strength in his legs to disarm a Knight of the Eternian Sky (with unconfirmed training) by virtue of being able to keep up with a sprinting Norende sheep is purely for storytelling purposes and is no indication of the bodily benefits to a shepherd profession.

Disclaimer: Draconai Thunderus Inferanun Blizzantux Auracto claims no responsibility for reader assumption as a result of the above disclaimer that a shepherd is incapable of defending himself barehanded.


	16. The Storm of the Sky Knights

Draco: Progress from here will be slower than my first 14-chapter burst due to various outside forces including several new games.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: The Storm of the Sky Knights**

"Easy, easy..."

Til's breath was tight as Owen slowly lay him down on one of the beds in the inn. Only once his body was still upon the mattress did he let the air out of his lungs, his mind foggy with pain as Olivia reached for the bucket of cold water that she had brought with her.

"You're lucky it died out quickly," Owen mused, looking over the burns. Olivia had explained what had happened as they had come up the stairs. "Oil burns do some of the worst damage."

"I can imagine," Olivia murmured, drawing out a wet cloth from the bucket. Carefully, she reached forward and laid the cloth over Til's back, drawing a gasp of light pain from him; his cries made her wince, but she kept it in place, knowing it would soothe the burns.

Owen sighed. "You'll want to change cloths every hour or so," he told Olivia. "Best to get fresh water each time, as well."

"I will keep it in mind," she mused.

The captain took off, leaving Olivia and Til alone until Airy popped out of the air next to her.

"How long is this going to take?" Til murmured.

Airy looked over his wounds. "The burns don't look too serious," she admitted, "but you're still pretty young. I'd say..."

"A few weeks at best," Olivia insisted, laying another cloth over his legs. "It's going to take_ time_ for you to heal."

"We don't _have_ time," he groaned. "We need to get you back to your crystal."

Olivia shook her head. "Til, _enough_," she insisted. "It's not going to work, alright? We're never going to get that airship. The Sky Knights know who I am, Lontano Villa is a fortress, and we can't even get through the Centro Ruins if the gates are-"

At this point, Til started to chuckle, cutting Olivia off. "What are you laughing about?" she asked. "I'm trying to be serious here."

Til craned his neck just enough that he could see over the edge of the bed. "Check my pockets," he told her.

Olivia glanced down; Owen had removed his garments so that they could treat his burns, but his leggings were still mostly intact. Curious, she reached down, sliding her hands into his pockets. From one side she drew out the asterisks that he had been carrying - the one from Barras had a fist mark on it, while the one from Ominas had a black hat in contrast with the white hat on Holly's.

In his other pocket was a ring lined with keys.

"You...?" She turned to Til. "You took...?"

"He's not going to help us, is he?" Til mused. "If we have his keys, he doesn't have to."

Olivia sighed. "Even if we get to Lontano Villa," she murmured, "they're not going to give me a free ride to Ancheim. They _know_ I'm the water vestal, and I'm a horrible liar."

Til angled his head from side to side. "Same here," he admitted.

"Then how do you expect-?"

"But," Til added, cutting Olivia off, "I know how to hide the truth."

Olivia was caught off-guard by that.

Til was firm. "As soon as my feet can pick me up, we're going."

+x+x+x+

"I don't give a _damn!_"

The _Eschalot_ was soaring towards the city of Caldisla, with Argent Heinkel at the helm. At his Sky Knights' protest, he only turned to face them with a roar, keeping one hand on the wheel to keep it steady. "Barras and Holly have reported _zero_ findings since they arrived at the chasm, Crowe hasn't reported back since our last assemblage, and the vestal of water is in Caldisla _somewhere_. If they refuse to disclose her location, then I will take whatever action is necessary to capture the vestal and bring her to Eternia."

He turned to face the helm again as the _Eschalot_ neared the city. The engine's roar was none-too-quiet, and Heinkel would not be surprised if every soldiers in Caldisla was waiting for him when he got down - however, if Alternis' report was to be believed, the only threat would be the captain of their guard. Bringing the ship as close earthward as he safely could, he yelled to his men, "Brace the anchor!"

His gaze went over the deck of the ship, gazing upon the soldiers swarming in the city like ants upon an anthill.

"Drop!"

The anchor fell, slamming into the earth ten paces from the city, and Heinkel engaged the ship's aerial parking before taking off to the landing dock, his grip finding his sword on his way out.

+x+x+x+

The flight of an airship sounded the day after Til's decision. Olivia, who was observing the asterisks that Til had collected, panicked and dove for cover, with the stones tumbling around her, but Til only forced himself up on his arms, glancing out the window.

"The _Eschalot_," he muttered, recognizing the roar. "That's the Sky Knights' airship. Don't go anywhere near them."

"Who do they have left?" Olivia murmured.

Til tried to remember. Edea had been talking about the Sky Knights while she had helped him and Tiz with the sheep, that day the chasm opened. "Barras, Holly, Ominas... and the Knight," Til murmured. "Argent... Heinkel, I think. He's got tough armour, a really big shield, and a really big sword. If you get close, he'll cut you apart."

Airy popped out of the air next to her. "You need to stay here," she insisted. "We can't get at the airship alie while this Heinkel guy is about."

"We can't very well just let them hurt the town," Olivia insisted. "Caldisla is no match for Eternian arms and soldiers."

The door slammed open, and Olivia and Til flattened themselves against floor and bedding, respectively; Airy dove under the covers on Olivia's bed. Heavy, metallic footsteps on the floor, and the clatter of sheath against greave.

"Can I assist you somehow?" the innkeep asked.

"I seek the vestal of water." A heavy, demanding voice. Olivia and Til exchanged glances - this _had_ to be Heinkel.

Olivia thanked the crystals that she had not imparted her position upon the innkeep when he spoke; "What few customers I have had did not tell me their position."

A groan from Heinkel. "A girl of 14 or such, blue hair, likely to be _wearing_ blue as well."

Til glanced at Olivia's blue longcoat with black trim. Olivia slammed a hand against her mouth to stop herself from cursing.

"Not here," the innkeep told him.

Heinkel scoffed, and Til _felt_ his gaze sweeping up at the bedding area, even with him and Olivia too low to be seen. "If I find anything to tell me you've been lying," he warned the innkeep, "I'll have your head under the anchor of my airship."

"If you find anything to say I've been lying," the innkeep countered, "_I'll_ find _you_ a good landing spot."

The knight stormed off, slamming the door behind him, and Olivia swore. An attempt to strike the floor for ventilation ended up slamming into the gold section of one of the asterisks.

The stone began to glow.

Olivia yelped, pulling her hand away.

It was then that the innkeep came up the stairs. "Are you two alright?"

"You lied to stop them from finding me," Olivia murmured, raising her gaze to him. "Why?"

"I'll not keep my head in exchange for yours, miss," the innkeep insisted. A horrified expression rose on his face. "Ah... Owen!"

He took off down the steps again, and Olivia glanced at the stones, and Til turned to face her. "What is it?"

Slowly, Olivia reached forward, setting her hand on the asterisk's gold portion again.

The stone slowly began to glow; then a flare of light wrapped Olivia, and she felt her garments _shift_.

When the glow faded, her body was wrapped in black robes, with a large black conical hat atop her head.

Til started. "No way," he murmured.

"Is this...?" Olivia glanced over herself. "These are the clothes Ominas was wearing!"

Realizing what happened in an instant, Til grabbed his wallet from the other side of the bed, tossing it at Olivia. "Go to the magic shop," he insisted. "Fire, Blizzard, Thunder. Then the armoury and grab a rod. Your staff isn't gonna cut it if you want to stop him in those."

Olivia turned to him. "What are you talking about?"

"_Black Mage_," Til realized. "This is what Barras meant by the asterisks' power. That's how they get so strong! With the asterisks! Do you want to stop him or not?"

Airy pulled herself out of the covers. "Don't even think about it!" she protested.

Til picked up Holly's asterisk and threw it at her to shut her up.

+x+x+x+

Seven of Caldisla's strongest soldiers guarded the path between the castle entryway and the king's throne, bucklers and broadswords in hand.

One swipe of Heinkel's blade cleared that path, none of his Sky Knights lifting a hand.

The king was trapped in his own courtroom - admittedly, by his own choice. The citizens that had come to warn him, and those that had managed to flee from the soldiers' wrath, had taken refuge further in, and the king had insisted they bar the doors. He realized that this put him at the Sky Knights' mercy, yet he regretted not his choice of action.

"You'll give us the vestal of water," Heinkel demanded, bracing his sword in both hands. "We know she is somewhere in this city."

"What?" His Majesty asked. "Was your objective not the vestal of wind?"

Heinkel angled his head to one side briefly. "False information at the time," he replied. "The wind vestal ceased her journey early - the water vestal had no such leisure, nor that of continuing her journey further. Now, where is she?"

"I'll not disclose her location," the king insisted, hiding the fact that he knew not her presence until now.

"You will," Heinkel countered, raising his sword at his side. "Or I will turn my cannons on this city and rain iron on each structure, bar the inn. My return to the ship should be more than enough time for you to inform your citizens. And if the vestal is not at the forefront of the crowd when I strike the door down, then the same fate will befall each who intends to hide her location. The choice is yours. Entirely."

"You've a choice yourself!"

Heinkel had time only to turn before he saw the swing of the blade. Had he carried his shield with him, it would have been a simple matter to deflect the blow; but alas, it took all the strength in his frame to move it and the armour encasing it away from the broadsword that aimed to strike him, at which point he needed release one hand from his blade to catch his fall. The practiced skill with which the opposing blade was drawn back was more than enough for Heinkel to discern who held it.

"Retreat now, or face me!"

"Ah, yes," Heinkel braced his sword in both hands again, holding it before him.

The swordsman raised his sword single-handedly at his side, in his other hand a buckler made of the same mediocre craftsmanship as every other attack and defence in this city.

"Owen, captain of the Caldislan royal guard!" he introduced.

Heinkel, now regretting his decision to leave his shield in the _Eschalot_, raised his own weapon - the Eternian alloy of mythril mined from Eisen and the hide of adamantite shell that all Sky Knights were armed with.

"Knight Argent Heinkel, Knights-Captain of the Eternian Sky!" he replied, allowing his opponent the honour of knowing the blade that felled him. "The stories paint you Caldisla's greatest hero. I hope you will not disappoint me."

"And just _how_ long do you intend to feign chivalry?"_  
_

The voice caused Owen and Heinkel to both turn as a flare of magic emerged from the source of the voice - and the six Sky Knights that had accompanied Heinkel to the castle were sent flying by a rain of Thunder, the shocks trapped in their armour.

The caster was a girl in black robes, with a wide-brimmed black hat that arced to a tip. Its brim obscured her face, and her hair had been slipped under the robes; in one hand she held in one hand a simple wooden casting rod, tipped with a silver dome; in the other was a basic wooden staff that peaked with her hat.

She came to a stop halfway between the entrance and the duel, standing there with her staff horizontal before her and her casting rod held out at her side. "Step back, Captain Owen. Your father fears for your life. I wish not to bring him your sword in your stead."

Heinkel allowed his blade to meet the castle's floor, intrigued by this girl's attire - and Owen, not daring strike an opponent distracted, lowered his sword as well. "And who are you?" the Sky Knight captain inquired, allowing Owen to step aside.

"Black Mage Olivia Oblige. I caught wind of your intrusion from a point of vantage not far from the inn."

"The design of those robes was proudly worn by Ominas Crowe of the Sky Knights," Heinkel told her. "I find it unlikely to be coincidence that another black mage should confront me so soon after I lost contact with him."

Olivia propped her staff against the ground before her. "You're better off a spellcaster yourself," she mused, "with a mind like that. I'm astonished you attained the title of Knight without the chivalry to back it up."

Heinkel could not see much of her face - just enough that the smile that rose on her lips was not missed.

"Or is there... _another_ source to your strength?"

"Enough," Heinkel snapped, raising his sword before him. "One who felled my finest officer has no right to insult my honour."

Olivia swung her rod in a circle, magic ringing her.

"Keep telling yourself that."

Thunder slammed into Heinkel's raised blade, sending a shock through his armour. Olivia rushed to one side, circling him - the moment she saw Heinkel reach into his pocket, drawing out the familiar shape of an asterisk, she lashed her rod out again, striking him with another bolt. The stone tumbled from his grasp, and she quickly cast a layer of Blizzard to encase it, stopping him from raising a barrier. His blade met the edge of the ice with the intent to pry his asterisk from the frost, but Olivia only sent a short burst of Fire for a quick-melt, with the added effect of singing Heinkel slightly, causing him to pull his head away; then she dropped another bolt of Thunder on the water that was now pooled around the asterisk, the shock racing up Heinkel's blade and trapping him.

A sudden wave of fatigue overcame Olivia, and she set her staff against the ground for support. Now she realized why Ominas had only cast three spells in their confrontation; the constant use of magic was draining Olivia's stamina. Heinkel noticed her weakness, leaping forward with his sword; Olivia panicked crossing her arms before her.

"Default!"

If Heinkel noticed the blue shockwave that emerged from around his blade, it was because the guard stopped him from striking Olivia directly; the attack instead sheared off the bottom third of Olivia's staff, plus the left half of her hat's brim. She screamed, releasing the broken weapon as she stumbled back and fell to the ground, her hat falling from her head.

And revealing her hair tinged blue by the Water Crystal she had once cared for.

Heinkel stopped in his place. "You," he muttered. "The vestal of water!"

Olivia glanced back at her fallen helm before turning to face Heinkel again.

"That proved less effective than I had hoped," she admitted.

Owen's footsteps sounded on the castle floor, but Olivia raised her empty hand towards him before Heinkel could raise his blade. "Don't!" she insisted. "I'll not bring word to your father that you fell to the blade of my captor!" She turned to Heinkel. "I'll let you act without further conflict, if you vow on what honour you have that you will bring no further harm to this city!"

Heinkel held out his hand. "The Black Mage's asterisk," he demanded. "Now!"

"It was not mine," Olivia insisted. "It belonged to a boy from Norende, who has doubtless fled the city by now." Her voice wavered as she said the second half of that. Affirming her voice, she added, "He will have the asterisk with him. It was only by fortune I determined how to use it."

The Knight growled angrily. "Hell with it," he muttered, grabbing Olivia by the arm. "I expect you to alert me if you catch sight of him on our trip to Lontano Villa."

Olivia grit her teeth; then she nodded.

"On the crystals that guide me, you have my word."

* * *

Draco: Note Olivia's failure to lie until she starts talking about Til. _Hearing_ Heinkel's attack _from the inn_ is indeed "catching wind" of the Sky Knights "not far" from the inn.


	17. Some Improvisation Required

Draco: I have nothing good to put here, so I'm just going to share a funny little story. My catchphrase "Because I'm evil like that" originally got used in the author's comment for a _Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories_ literation (novelization, whatever) on deviantART when I unnecessarily cut to Kairi on the Destiny Islands for the express purpose of breaking her heart into a million little snowflakes. I left the window open, with the text file unsaved, on Microsoft Internet Explorer, on a Windows XP laptop prone to glitching up and needing a manual shutdown when I put it into sleep mode, overnight, while I tried to come up with something _clever_ to put on the end of that. In hindsight, I'm lucky none of the above bit me in the ass before I got up the next morning at 3:00 and decided to submit that as-is. Ever since, I have proceeded to use it whenever I anticipate a "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO [insert character I have just [slaughtered/heartbroken/both/humiliated] for no reason]?!" from what readers I had.

Feel free to remove 204 words from this fanfiction's word count to compensate for this section.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: Some Improvisation Required**

Olivia had no idea what she expected when Til had mentioned "Sky Knights' airship". It wasn't enough.

The ship was a massive figure in bronze. From directly above or below, its structure more or less formed that of a liquid drop - arced at the helm and curved to a point in the rear. A massive anchor had been plowed into the ground, the chain of which was being climbed by the Sky Knight soldiers.

Realizing that was how they were getting onto and off of the ship, Olivia swallowed heavily. "I... I don't think I have the bodily strength to climb that."

"You've got it easy in robes," Heinkel admitted. "Just get on the anchor and hold on. The soldiers will do the rest."

Nervously, Olivia climbed onto one hook of the anchor as Heinkel stepped onto the other. His hand gripped the chain, and Olivia quickly set her hands against the join; not a few moments later, the anchor lifted, and Olivia yelped as she and Heinkel were pulled up to the airship. To Olivia's surprise, she was not made to leap from the side of the ship to the loading bay; rather, the anchor itself was pulled in, leaving her and Heinkel to step off with relative ease.

Heinkel beckoned for Olivia to follow him to the deck. Upon arrival, the knight grabbed the helm, asking, "You're not afraid of heights, are you?"

"Have you been to Florem?" Olivia asked. "The cliffs facing the Flor-Cheim Inner Sea is at least half the altitude of this airship. As vestal of water, visiting the edge of the sea was part of my daily rituals."

"Keep your gaze on the earth," Heinkel ordered. "If you see the boy with the asterisks, you'd better inform me."

Olivia turned over the edge, her gaze facing the earth, and pleaded that Til was still in the inn.

+x+x+x+

"Refresh my memory: What are we doing here again?"

Airy's question as Til crossed the bridge before Centro Ruins was met with Til coming to a stop, sitting down on the edge of the bridge. His leggings had returned to his feet, but his torso was covered only by his linen cuirass, with several wet cloths between his back and his garments. The asterisks were in one pocket, and Ominas' key ring was in the other. He still had Edea's katana at his waist and a buckler on his back; he had also picked up a new staff and rod for Olivia, which were crossed under the small shield.

"Heinkel captured Olivia, right?" Til mused, turning to face Airy. "Which means she's going to be in Lontano Villa with the Sky Knights until they all show up so they can take the _Eschalot_ back to Eternia. I want to help Olivia get back to her crystal, and you've got some weird thing about vestals even though I'm pretty sure Olivia said she's married-"

The cryst-fairy almost fell out of the air at that one.

"-so we're going to go to Lontano and stop them from getting to her," Til concluded. "If you don't want to help her, I can let you put Norende back together..."

"No, no, I'll come," Airy replied. Grumbling, she added, "I still can't believe you let her get captured like this."

Til rolled his eyes. "Look, you were trying to stop her and that's not your place. What she was trying to do didn't work, so I'm going to get to her, get her airship, and get her to Ancheim so she can talk to the temple girls and figure out how to fix the crystal in Florem." He got to his feet, taking off into the keep.

The Sky Knights were nowhere to be found, and he quickly made his way through the main hall on the first floor. The hold gates were locked, but he quickly unlocked them; getting them open was another matter altogether, but it didn't take him too long before his way was clear.

"Are you sure about this?" Airy asked nervously. "This knight is supposed to be terribly strong, and the Sky Knights are hardly going to let you in."

Til shook his head. "I've got an idea."

Airy bit her lip. "Your last idea ended up like Norende," she murmured.

"And that's why it has nothing to do with the last one," Til replied. "Just trust me."

+x+x+x+

The _Eschalot_ arrived at Lontano Villa with no sightings of Til. Getting into the villa down the anchor's chain was a little scarier than getting into the ship, but Olivia was relieved when she got into the structure. If she wasn't scared of heights before, she _definitely_ was now.

Heinkel stepped in, glancing at the soldiers gathered there. "Send word to Barras and Holly that the vestal has been captured," he told them. "Tell them to find Crowe."

Olivia was confused. "Are you not to take me to Eternia?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, the _Eschalot_ is incapable of surmounting the Eternian highlands," Heinkel informed her. "You'll have to get used to the villa until they arrive to pick us up." He turned towards the communications set and fiddled with a few dials before setting his hand on the transmitter. "Eternian Central Command, respond."

A few moments' pause; then a voice came through the com that sent terror through Olivia's veins. _"Eternian Central Command, Victoria F. Stein. What do you want?"_

Olivia stepped back when she heard the voice. "Her..." she gasped. "The witch from Florem..."

Heinkel glanced at Olivia before turning to the com again. "Lontano Villa, Eternian Sky Knight occupation, Argent Heinkel. I have the vestal of water in captivity. Send someone for pickup."

_"Alright, fine."_

The line went dead, and Heinkel turned to Olivia. "You've made contact with the arcanist before?" he asked of her.

Olivia nodded, her eyes wide.

"You needn't worry," he assured the vestal. "Victoria has a rather... unstable condition. She hasn't any experience in piloting an airship, and her caretaker wouldn't bring her just for a pickup. At worst, you'll see her when you arrive in Eternia - where the Grand Marshal will be on guard to ensure she takes no action against you."

+x+x+x+

The monsters between the Centro Ruins and the Lontano Villa were slightly stronger than those around Caldisla, but nothing that Edea's blade couldn't cut through with ease. Til and Airy neared the villa as the sun was going down; after making sure there were no monsters about, Til sheathed the katana, leaving Airy to vanish as he stepped towards the structure.

A Sky Knight soldier was standing there, and he quickly took a defensive stance. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Til raised his hands defensively. "I believe there is a Knight known as Argent Heinkel in this building?"

"Captain Heinkel is currently occupied," the soldier stated. "If you have a delivery or a message, I'll take it here."

This was not Til's initial plan. Fortunately, he had a backup.

"Alright," he insisted, reaching into his pocket. He drew out a small object - the survival knife that Olivia had come to Caldisla with. "Here," he said, handing it to the soldier, "Tell him this is from one Edea Lee."

The soldier started. "You have made contact with Lady Edea?"

Til had _not_ prepared for this. Stalling for time, he asked, "She goes by 'Lady'?"

"The Grand Marshal's daughter?" the Sky Knight replied. "Of course she does."

"Allow me to speak with Knight Heinkel," Til improvised. "I will tell him all I know."

The soldier weighed his options. "No," he insisted finally. "If you have any information to share, you will share it here."

Til shrugged. "Then I have nothing to say," he replied. "Give Knight Heinkel her delivery, and I shall take my leave."

He turned away. Airy popped out of existence before him, stopping him from moving. "What are you doing?" she whispered. "We need to get to Olivia before-"

"Wait for it," Til interrupted, glancing out the corner of his eye without turning his head as though it allowed him to see behind him.

The sound of the drawbridge falling open caught his ears, and Til's hand went for Edea's sword.

"Now."

He spun around, drawing Edea's sword in the other direction, and rushed forward. The Sky Knight heard the scream of the blade and turned, drawing his own short sword, but Til quickly cut the handle off his blade, knocking it to the ground. He quickly kicked the soldier in the codpiece, dislodging it from his greaves, before shoving him into a nearby shed while he was yelping.

Without hesitating, Til slammed the door on him, picked up the blade of the soldier's sword, and propped it up to lock against the handle, driving the tip between two bricks.

Airy was watching in amazement. "How did you I don't even-"

Til had a grimace on his face as he turned to face her. "Let's try and stay hidden," he mused. "I don't want to fight any more than I have to."

+x+x+x+

The two of them managed to make their way through the villa without a great deal of trouble, but there were a few Sky Knights that Til had no choice but to deal with. Nevertheless, he got to the top of the building without too much difficulty, finding the people he was looking for at a nearby hall.

Olivia and Heinkel.

The half-dozen Sky Knights, he wasn't so crazy about.

"There she is," Airy murmured. "How did you plan on getting her out of here?"

In response, Til only stepped forward, sliding Edea's katana back into its sheath and raising his hand once it was empty. "Hello!"

The Sky Knights quickly drew their swords as Heinkel and Olivia turned. The water vestal was surprised - and _horrified_ - to see Til standing there, one hand raised, with the other resting on the sheath of the katana he had taken from the edge of the chasm at Norende. Heinkel, on the other hand, was just annoyed.

"Now how did _you_ get in here?" the knight mused.

"Til, what are you _doing_?" Olivia demanded. "You're still supposed to be recovering!"

"I _told_ you," Til insisted, "as soon as my feet can pick me up, we're going to Lontano Villa." Then, to answer Heinkel's question; "I distracted the guy at the gates and shoved him in the supply house. Then I used his sword to jam the door."

Heinkel crossed his arms. "And you managed to get from Caldisla, through Centro Ruins, to Lontano Villa, and then up to the top floor in a condition that the vestal believes should be in recovery?"

Til shook his head. "She has a name, you know." He rolled his shoulders back. "In any case, you guys are probably on a tight schedule, and I'm not going to bother you more than I have to. I'm just here to pick up Olivia and take her home."

The Sky Knights exchanged glances... and promptly started laughing.

Til's expression faltered. "What?" he asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

Heinkel shook his head. "Our mission is to take the vestal back to Eternia. We are presently awaiting the arrival of an airship that can surmount the highlands. We'll not surrender the vestal to anyone."

"Alright, alright," Til insisted. "Fine." He reached into his pocket. "Then I guess you won't want this back."

The soldiers gathered all stepped back when he drew out a familiar stone of gold and black.

Heinkel stepped back. "An asterisk?"

Til glanced at the top of it before pointing at Olivia. "The one she's using," he admitted. "Black Mage, right? If you want the asterisk back, you'll have to let her go first."

"Do you honestly believe that the asterisks are so important?" Heinkel demanded.

"Ominas sent his troops to wreck Norende because I had Barras and Holly's stones," Til countered.

Heinkel raised an eyebrow.

Til's gaze hit the floor. "Okay, it was really just a couple bricks and some half-mixed concrete," he muttered. "I'm just one kid, alright? I can't do that much."

The Sky Knights exchanged glances.

"The asterisks have no importance greater than the vestal," Heinkel reprimanded.

Til shrugged, slipping the asterisk into his pocket.

Then he pulled the katana and sheath off his belt, raising it before him.

"What about Lady Edea's sword?"

The whole group stepped back in shock at that. Heinkel in particular took a fighting stance - even though Olivia knew he had left his sword and shield in the Eschalot. "What the-?"

"I found this sword next to the chasm," Til informed them, his voice heavy. "Edea was in Norende the day the earth fell. She let herself die so that I wouldn't. I don't think your Grand Marshal is going to be too happy to know she's not around, is she?" His voice began to crack, and a half-hearted smirk rose on his face. "And if you don't bring back her sword, you know what it looks like? It looks like you're the one who killed her. It looks like you don't want to bring back her sword because she got a cut on you before you sliced her in half."

Heinkel scoffed angrily.

"Let Olivia go."

A smirk rose on the Knight's face. "I think not."

Til reached into his pocket, drawing out Barras' asterisk. "Let. Olivia. Go."

Heinkel swept one hand to the side. "You realize you stand before the Eternian Forces' Fourth Division?" he mused. "My soldiers are more than enough to deal with you, boy. I can take her blade by force, if I must."

"You realize I have nothing to lose?"

The dark words coming from a face so young had Heinkel visibly unnerved.

Til hooked the katana back on his belt again. "Look, everyone," he mused. "We can do this the _easy_ way, or we can do it-"

Heinkel swept his hand forward. "Attack!"

All six soldiers currently with him raised their swords, and Til scoffed. "They took the hard way," he muttered. "Fine!"

He slammed his fist against the black side of the asterisk.

Nothing happened as the soldiers rushed him.

Til muttered something that would have made Tiz fill his mouth with uncleaned wool, tossing the asterisk aside and drawing Edea's katana. He knocked one attacking sword to the ground, cut the handle off a second and kicked the wielder of the third between the greaves before jumping in the direction he had thrown the stone. He landed badly, hitting the ground with a roll, and a shout of pain tore from him as he collided with the stone.

He picked up the rock by the gold.

And a surge of light wrapped him, causing the Sky Knights to pull away.

When it faded, Til's garments from Norende were gone, replaced with a tight-fitting, sleeveless white shirt and baggy brown leggings.

The Sky Knights took defensive stances as Til glanced at the stone. "Well that was weird."

The soldiers rushed him, and he quickly slid Edea's sword into its sheath before pulling the staff off his back from under his buckler. He didn't even think, didn't even realize he had _no way_ of reasonably doing this; by sheer instinct, he managed to strike the soldiers around him a hundred times over, knocking them to the ground before they could land a blow.

He came to a stop in the middle of the crowd - only once the crowd was on the floor.

Olivia glanced at him. "Til," she murmured, "how... how did you do that?"

A Sky Knight grabbed his sword and tried to slash at Til's legs; Til stopped the attack on his staff and slammed it into the wielder's hand.

"Instinct," he replied.

Heinkel scoffed angrily, grabbing Olivia by the arm and pulling her out the door to the nearby balcony. Til took off after him, finding the night sky waiting for him. The Eschalot was in the air just past the balcony, with the anchor driven into the earth below; as Til watched, Heinkel threw Olivia into the ship and raced in for himself, the loading bay closing behind him.

Airy appeared behind Til as he panted, out of breath from pushing his body in this condition.

"Okay," Airy murmured, "we got Olivia in the airship. What the hell was step two?"

* * *

Draco: Can YOU count the unnecessary references to awesomeness?


	18. Of Field Mice And Flying Men

Draco: Alright, back to work. Since I got chapter 17 up, I've been playing Pokémon Y and making various shady deals for Mega Stones. That's a problem. Time to do something about it.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: Of Field Mice And Flying Men**

"How do _I_ always get this shift?"

Alternis Dim was busy loading the _Dark Knight_. After Victoria's report that the Sky Knights had apprehended the water vestal, the Grand Marshal had chosen the dark swordsman with aiding the _Eschalot_ over the Eternian Highlands - the Templar himself was assisting his preparations.

At Dim's question, the Grand Marshal shook his head. "Victor would insist on bringing Victoria with him," he admitted. "I'm not certain they're telling the whole truth about the matter with the wind vestal." Setting his hand on Alternis' shoulder, the Templar added, "Besides, you'd be hard-pressed to find another I would entrust with this task, given who it concerns."

Alternis closed his eyes under his helmet, a smile rising on his face at that thought.

A soldier stepped out of his airship, saluting to the both of them. "All the necessary supplies are loaded, sir," he told Alternis. "How large a crew will be accompanying you?"

Alternis shook his head. "No one is needed," he told the soldier. "I will be flying to Caldisla, and then flying back. A gunning crew is not needed, and any maintenance can be done at Lontano Villa. In case of emergency, the helmsman's guns will be sufficient."

"Give Edea my regards," the templar insisted.

"Yes, Lord Marshal," Alternis assured him.

Then he boarded the _Dark Knight_, taking off into the black skies.

+x+x+x+

Olivia was thrown into the _Eschalot_'s holding cell - which was about the size of the beds from Caldisla - the moment Heinkel had dragged her onto the ship. The bars slammed shut behind her, and she could only turn to watch as Heinkel stormed away, grabbing his sword and shield from the wall as he passed the weapons rack.

His sword was sheathed at his waist, his shield was hooked over his back, and his hands closed on the helm as the anchor from the broadside was pulled out of the dirt beneath the villa. No sooner had it left the earth than Heinkel spun the ship twice, starting towards the chasm, and the edge nearest Caldisla.

"Tell Central Command to meet us at Norende," he barked to the soldier nearest him. "We need to pick up the others. That brat may have their asterisks, but I refuse to leave them behind."

"Yes, sir."

The soldier retreated into the ship, leaving Heinkel to focus on the task at hand. The anchor, still on its way to the hull, caught a few trees at once; the trunks shattered, though not before they sent the ship straight out towards open water at fourty-five degrees.

A loud shouting caught his ears, accompanied by a woman's scream.

Heinkel dismissed the scream as that of the Water Vestal upon realizing the shout was that of the soldier at the com.

+x+x+x+

"How are you so calm?"

Airy's shouts as Til rode the anchor up to the ship was answered with a frightened look. "I'm trying not to get noticed," he snapped, keeping one of the cryst-fairy's arms pinned between two fingers so she wouldn't fall behind. "The helm's on the open deck. He probably heard you when we hit the trees." He caught Airy in the crook of his arm so he could pull a couple pinecones out of his hair and still keep one hand on the center of the anchor.

Which quickly collided with the side of the ship.

"Where do you expect to go from here?" Airy demanded, holding onto his arm for dear life.

Til released the pinecones and used his free hand to brush over the _Eschalot_'s hull. His fingers found ridges soon enough; an adult would have slipped off in an instant, but a child of his age was able to grip those faint edges and - albeit vary precariously - clamber up until he reached the hole where the anchor's chains went in.

He arrived to find the loading bay - and another anchor to send out from in there.

"That would have made things so much easier," he muttered.

"I think they did that on purpose," Airy admitted. "I remember hearing a Sky Knight boasting about Heinkel being merciless with security. 'A field mouse couldn't slip in'. If they used the anchor in here, it would be easier for stowaways to get in."

Til only shook his head, pulling out the asterisks. "Okay, I don't think Barras' stone is gonna cut it if I'm dealing with Heinkel," he admitted. "What do you think?"

"Take Holly's," Airy mused. "She was a healer, right?"

"Right," Til admitted, putting the others back in his pocket and holding the stone before him by the black portion.

A long quiet.

Airy held her hands out at her side. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"I still have no idea how this thing works," Til admitted, setting both hands on the black portion of the asterisk. "I got lucky with Barras."

The cryst-fairy set a hand on her chin. "I don't know either," she admitted. "Um... Try, like... sweeping your hand down. Like you were trying to hit something."

Til swept his hand down. Nothing happened.

"What was that supposed to do?" he wondered.

"Make you look stupid," Airy muttered. "Now shut up. If you don't know how to work it, just go find Olivia so we can get out of here."

Til rolled his eyes at her, pocketing the stone again and pulling the staff on his back.

Airy followed him with her eyes until he vanished around a corner; then her gaze hit the floor.

_Then what the hell was Edea doing?_ she pondered aloud. _Did she bewitch them or something?_ "Damn it, Dim," she snapped aloud. "How you managed to screw up _everything_ when you couldn't remember _anything_ I'll never know."

+x+x+x+

Olivia didn't have much to do while she was in the holding cell - aside from dealing with Heinkel's insane piloting, which she found easiest by simply leaning against the bars and gripping when the ship angled the other way. The Sky Knight stationed to guard her was not so lucky; he was sent flying this way and that by the sharp turns the ship took, slammed by a crate of ammunition more than once.

The flight was just starting to level out when a curious sound caught Olivia's ears. Confused, she set herself against one wall so she could gaze out the bars. The various crates were sliding from side to side, unbound to the walls and stacked precariously atop one another; dismissing what she had heard as the boxes' friction, she only leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes.

The same audio again - like metal clattering against meal.

Olivia's eyes shot open, gazing in the direction she had heard the sound. Confused, she got to her feet - and was rewarded by the ship banking fifty degrees, forcing her to grab the bars again or slam into the back wall of her cell if she failed to.

"I must be out of my mind," Olivia murmured.

Another clatter; this time the soldier turned towards it. One sounding, two soundings, three - then a figure leapt from the shadows from atop two boxes, flying towards the soldier that stood guard.

The Sky Knight panicked. "Capt-!"

He was silenced when a bare fist slammed into the back of his neck, knocking him to the ground - and a shout sounded when its owner connected as well.

Olivia blinked twice when she saw Til pull himself to his feet, still in the fist-fighter garb that he had taken from the asterisk.

The Norende boy rolled his shoulders. "That hurt."

"I'm definitely out of my mind," Olivia murmured.

"You alright in there?" Til asked, stepping towards the bars. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Olivia shook her head. "What... Til, what are you doing here?" she demanded. "This thing was moving as soon as I got on. I don't even think they retracted the anchor before we took off."

Til winced with a chuckle. "They didn't," he admitted, kneeling down to fish through the soldier's pocket. "That's why this thing turned so much the first time. The anchor hooked on some trees. I think they're trying to avoid staying in one place until their pickup arrives."

He found what he was looking for, drawing out a single key on a small ring and driving it into the lock. It took a fierce twist, but the lock opened, leaving Olivia to step out. "Okay," she mused, "but that still doesn't explain how _you're_ here."

In response, Til reached into his hair and drew out a pine cone. "Knew I missed one," he muttered.

"You _rode the anchor_ up here?" Olivia exclaimed, disbelieving.

"Yeah," Til admitted. "Here," he added, "you're gonna need these." He pulled the casting rod and buckler off his back, handing them to Olivia, before bracing the staff in his own hands. "You know the way to the helm?"

+x+x+x+

Heinkel was very annoyed when the door to the deck burst open with a series of rushed footsteps. "Don't tell me Alternis is bitching about locations again," he snapped, glaring over his shoulder.

And finding two familiar figures - two whom he _knew_ to oppose him - standing there.

Til braced the staff in both hands, aiming the head at Barras. "Take us to the lake at the south," he said firmly. "Now!"

Heinkel spun round, keeping one hand on the helm. "Who is it you think you are, boy?" he demanded. "I'll not take orders from you. Not when we are this close to achieving what the Bloodrose Legion could not!"

Olivia braced her buckler and rod before her. "With the crystals wrapped in darkness, it is my duty as vestal to restore their light," she snapped. I refuse to allow anyone to bar my way. Take us to the lake!"

"Enough!" Heinkel roared. With angered uncaring, he pulled his shield from his back and forced it against the helm to maintain its course before drawing his blade in one hand. "You face the Knights-Captain of the Eternian Sky! Vestal, you will come with me to Eternia - with, or without, your limbs! And you, boy will end here as dew upon my blade!"

His empty hand drew out an asterisk as his blade carved three lines in the deck - and that imprisoning light of the stone surged out around them, trapping them in the familiar arena of shining blue.

The moment his asterisk was upon the pouch at his belt, Heinkel leapt towards them with his weapon in both hands. Til and Olivia both leapt out of the way, Til landing with a painful roll; Olivia took advantage of the knight's distraction to drop a bolt of Thunder on him before reminding herself not to consume too much of her stamina with magic alone. The shocks trapped in his metal armour left Til with an opening, and he quickly slammed his staff into the knight's arm.

The wooden weapon bounced off his armour ineffectively.

Heinkel recovered, swinging his blade at Til; the Norende boy fell to his knees and leaned back as far as he could, the blade clipping the tip of his hair. He swung the staff towards Heinkel's legs, to no effect, before leaping away from an earthward swing. Olivia quickly dropped another cast of Thunder on the Knight, stunning him again, and Til rushed forward, trying to pry Hienkel's fingers off his sword with the staff he still gripped.

The knight seemed to be getting used to the aftershocks, however; he quickly pulled his weapon away, raising it skyward before swinging it low, and Til drove his staff into the ground to propel him into the air. This let him avoid getting cut in half; his staff wasn't so lucky, the wooden length getting bisected without so much as slowing Heinkel's blade down.

Til grabbed the two halves of the weapon, glancing between them ineffectively, before raising his gaze to Heinkel.

He threw the two of them at the knight's face, who guarded them with his bare arm.

Then he _leapt after them_, raising one hand skyward before slamming it into Heinkel's nose.

The knight shouted in pain, grabbing Til by the back of his shirt before he could hit the ground. Angered, he _threw_ the boy at Olivia, who dropped her weapons to catch him without harming him too much. The knight braced his weapon in both hands and rushed forward, and Olivia could only leap away before his blow skidded across the back of her legs.

She managed to get far enough away from Heinkel that he couldn't catch up in his weighty armour; moving quickly, the vestal set Til down before turning to face the knight.

Her rod and buckler were at his feet.

"Oh, _mizu_..."

She rushed towards Heinkel, fighting against the pain from the cuts in her legs. He turned towards her, sword raised, and swung it earthward at her. Olivia crossed her arms and hit the floor of the battlefield, crying "Default!" as the cobalt shockwave forced Heinkel's sword away. It still skidded across her shield arm as her momentum carried her past its range, and as the freeze wore off, her hands went to her equipment. Heinkel dragged his weapon across the earth, aiming to strike her, but another Default forced attack to one side, this one skidding her weapon arm.

Then she leapt away, spinning her rod in hand to the time of crimson flares around her. Once, twice; then she raised her rod above her head, magic ringing her. Bolts of Thunder rained down on Heinkel, faster than she could cast without the speed of Bravery, and he roared from the voltage, the shocks coming to frequent for him to fight off. His weapon fell from his hand as he raised his arms above him, and Til was on his feet in an instant, rushing towards him with the opening he had.

The lightning wore off, and Heinkel forced his body to turn.

Olivia Braved thrice more, raining further Thunder on Heinkel's body, and Til lashed his hands down in time to the flares of his own Bravery as his body accelerated. A kick slammed into Heinkel's leg with enough momentum to force him to one knee, and Til quickly slammed another blow into his upright joint - enough force to propel him off the ground. He swung around the knight's arm, his Bravery propelling him fast enough to whirl up and slam another forceful strike that nearly missed its target; the blow connected with Heinkel's jaw, forcing a roar from him as he fell to one side.

Then Til landed with a roll, holding a hand out to Olivia's cuts. "Cure!"

Sparks of magic appeared around Olivia's arms and legs, and her gaze went down as the cuts healed - faintly, but noticeably. Shocked, she raised her gaze to Til, who just now realized what had happened as his Bravery wore off, glancing at his hand. "What the...?"

"I didn't know fist-fighters did healing magic," Olivia murmured as the barrier faded around them.

"Barras didn't," Til observed. "Where in the-?"

A tremor on the ship caused them to shout, glancing around. Heinkel's shield had slipped out from the helm, leaving it free to turn, and the ship was starting to bank with no one to pilot it. The Sky Knight captain had been knocked out by Til's last blow; Olivia and Til were on their own.

"What do we do?" Olivia cried.

Til closed his eyes for a moment. _Think, think... Did Edea say anything about the ship? ...No, she didn't!_ Snapping them open, he only answered, "We'll just have to try and see what works!" Struggling from the Bravery had had used, he forced his body forward. The ship banked in the opposite direction it had already, and he lifted off the deck just enough to slam into the helm. Pushing himself to his feet had his hands racing across a great deal of levers and switches.

Only now did Til realize just how screwed he was - an airship had so much going on that he had no idea where to _start_.

"Oh, son of a submariner..."

"Til, get down!"

He didn't even have time to move; Olivia grabbed him and forced him to the deck as something slammed into the side of the deck hooking onto the canopy over the helm. Til almost screamed when he realized it was an _anchor_ - and the ship lurched wickedly in the other direction. Til and Olivia quickly tumbled sideways, slamming into the railing; both of them grabbed on tight as the ship's angle meant it was no longer running on its own power, instead being lifted by whatever that anchor belonged to.

"Another airship?" Olivia gasped.

"Their pickup," Til realized. "It's the one who was sent to bring them back to Eternia!"

With the ship no longer lifting itself, the canopy began to buckle, turning the ship further.

"Olivia, that thing's not gonna hold!"

The angle meant that the railing was no longer sufficient; the two of them toppled over the railing and screamed.

And fell maybe three metres before hitting the water of the lake south of Caldisla.

Til was the first to realize there was still a ship hanging over their heads by an anchor; moving quickly, he grabbed Olivia's arm and began to swim for the edge of the lake. Olivia started moving on her own pace soon enough, and the two of them reached the shore just before the _Eschalot_ fell out of the air, the canopy having given way.

The sun had yet to appear on the horizon; both the anchor and its chains were of black iron that were hidden by the night. Til nonetheless raised his gaze skyward, hoping to catch sight of the airship above them.

What he saw was a patch of darkness in the starry sky - one that quickly took off in another direction.

* * *

Draco: I'm gonna call it there. Maybe next chapter we'll get out of Caldis.


	19. Departure At Last

Draco: Alright, I've hit more chapters than reviews. Let's see how long that lasts.

Bravely Default and all related properties © Square Enix

* * *

**Caldis Region: Departure at Last**

Til and Olivia arrived at Caldisla at dawn.

Both of them were _exhausted_. Til had tried to heal their wounds with wherever his Cure magic had come from, but all the casts did was take off the worst of the pain from their trip - in exchange for blanking Til's stamina. Olivia was half-carrying him as they stepped into the city.

Owen was pacing in front of the inn when they stepped into the city. At the sight of Til stumbling onto the pavement, he rushed towards them, kneeling in front of the boy. "Are you alright?" he asked worriedly. "What happened?"

"I think I flew an airship," Til murmured, glancing at Olivia.

The vestal shook her head. "Not quite," she admitted.

Til only turned back to Owen, his gaze firm. "Tell the king that the Sky Knights won't be bothering us any more," he told the captain firmly. "Caldisla is safe."

+x+x+x+

"The kingdom of Caldisla owes you both a vast debt!"

Olivia and Til were kneeling before the Caldislan throne, the king's praise falling on ears that could appreciate it. The soldiers had rejoiced at the news that the Sky Knights had been driven off, and though their saviours had declined to rest before meeting with the king, that did nothing to diminish how they felt.

"I thank you from my heart of hearts," the king welcomed. "Vestal Olivia, your arrival came with an ill omen to your crystal, and still you chose to aid us when the need arose. And you, Til, had a nightmare visited upon you and your home, yet still you rose up to defend ours. If you are willing, I would gladly see you a home with the rest of our guard."

Til managed to force himself to his feet. "You honour me, Your Highness," he admitted. "But... I can't accept it. Olivia wants to head to Ancheim, and then back to Florem. I hope to help her in whatever way I can."

Olivia turned to him. "Til, what are you-?"

"Look, you're gonna need a hand," Til insisted. "Two of us means there's more we can do. I'm sorry, Your Majesty," he added, turning to the king, "but I'm afraid I can't stay."

"Caldisla shall be poorer for losing you," the king admitted. "Know that you will ever have a home here. If there is anything we can do to aid you, you need only send us word."

Til angled his head from side to side.

"Any chance of sending someone to help with Norende?"

+x+x+x+

"What would you like us to do first?"

Til and Olivia had led a company of twenty volunteers - a mix of soldiers and townspeople - from Caldisla to the edge of the Norende chasm. Til looked over the area with disdain, drawing out the office scroll that the king had given him. He'd yet to look over it, but now he realized that the king had provided an extensive list of ideal structures to construct at Norende.

"Alright..." Til pointed at the ground about six feet away from him. "I'm thinking... start a refuge-slash-storage around here-ish..." Glancing around, he beckoned to the tangle that the woods had become, continuing, "...and clear up the trees over there. Maybe we can get some more room before we get tp anything big. Don't work too hard," he added as the men began to pick up their equipment. "Take breaks when you have to, and head back to the city if things get nasty at night."

A soldier raised a hand to get his attention. "Uh, what do you want us to do with this?" When Til turned to him with an expression of confusion, the volunteer beckoned to the construct of bricks.

"Wow," he murmured. "I'm surprised they didn't wreck this." He shook his head. "I tried starting it myself. Didn't mix the concrete enough. You can get rid of that." Starting back into the ravine, he added, "I'll keep in touch. Send a couple letters. Maybe get some volunteers from Ancheim. If you get finished with the trees, see if you can get an armoury or something in that area."

Olivia approached him as he stepped into the ravine. "Are you sure you wish to accompany me to Ancheim?" she asked. "You've so much to do here..."

Til shook his head. "I want to help you," he insisted. "If you can do something - _anything_ - about this hole, then I want to help you through it. Otherwise, Norende's never gonna be back. Not really. Besides," he added before Olivia could protest, "if we go to Ancheim, we might be able to get some more stuff."

"Hey, you!"

The shout caused Til and Olivia to turn. A familiar brutish-looking figure was standing not fifteen paces away, at his side a woman in white robes - Barras and Holly. Til's hand went for Edea's katana as the monk stomped forward.

"What do you think you're doin' here?" Barras demanded. "You want another pound- holy crap, you're wearing my asterisk!"

Til glanced down and realized he was still in the fist-fighter gear, with Olivia at his side in black robes. Barras stepped back, shocked, as Holly braced her staff before her. "You've got some nerve, showing up here in our stuff," the White Mage protested. "How did you even get through Ominas' fire for that thing?"

Olivia braced her buckler and casting rod before her. "That's hardly-"

"We kept him distracted and stayed away from the oil," Til dismissed. "Now what do you want? I'm trying to put a village back together."

Barras, Holly, and Olivia all blinked twice before turning to him. "Wait, what?" Olivia murmured.

"What the...?" Barras sounded dumbfounded.

Holly pointed at him. "Who are you to-?"

"The guy who took down Heinkel," Til interrupted. "Now, if you want to make yourselves useful, go help with the construction. Get the Sky Knights to help out. Here's the keys through Centro Ruins." Here he tossed a keyring at Barras, causing the monk to fumble with them for several moments. "Maybe you can speed up the process."

Here he stepped forward, pushing Holly out of the way and continuing through the ravine. Olivia shook her head and stepped around them, murmuring, "Excuse me" and stumbling after Til when her foot hooked on Holly's staff.

Holly and Barras turned to follow them before exchanging glances.

"What just happened?" Holly murmured.

"I have _no_ clue," Barras admitted.

A moment's pause.

"I think we should look for the Captain," Holly mused.

Barras nodded. "Yeah... Let's do that."

+x+x+x+

When Til and Olivia got to the south lake, they were surprised once more.

The _Eschalot_ was floating upright on the water's surface. There was still a huge tear in the canopy, but otherwise the ship seemed to be perfectly fine.

"How does that even work?" Olivia wondered aloud.

"I guess Heinkel must have been working on it," Til mused.

Olivia shook her head. "That thing has got to be at least as heavy as the castle and I could have sworn Heinkel had drowned."

Til shrugged. "Maybe it's got something to right it? It's an airship. Wrong-way-up is probably the worst thing that could happen to someone flying that thing." Glancing around, he added, "Heinkel must have gone to find the other Sky Knights. Let's try and get this thing in the air before he gets back."

"You tried that before, remember?" Olivia reprimanded.

"I didn't get the chance before the anchor ran into it," Til countered. "If we don't rush, then we won't have too much trouble."

+x+x+x+

"That _should_ do for now..."

Alternis Dim was at Lontano Villa, fixing up the _Dark Knight_. He had experienced an attack the previous night on his way from Eternia - another airship nearly as dark as his own, and with firepower exceeding what he helmsman's guns could manage - and had stopped at Lontano to fix up the ship after a short rest. He had found the lack of Sky Knights in the villa disturbing, to say the least; nonetheless, he had managed to adequately repair his own airship, assuming the Eternian Forces' Fourth Division had experienced an attack at the villa and had relocated to the Southern Caldis Lake.

A heavy sigh passed through his lips as he drew a hand across his forehead. He had decided to forgo his armour during the repair - a choice that proved to be wise, as he was already sweating like mad without the wrap of black steel. Weakly, he stepped into the vessel, cranked the air conditioning to maximum, and made his way to the helm, drawing out his asterisk and positioning it at his spine as the armour appeared.

No sooner had he lifted away from the villa than Alternis saw another airship at the south end of the Caldis region. He recognized the bronze hull of the _Eschalot_ anywhere; yet, to his astonishment, the ship turned this way and that several times, as though it were being flown by someone with no experience. _Don't tell me Edea made them give up the helm..._ Alternis murmured, starting the Dark Knight towards the lake.

Then, to his astonishment, the _Eschalot_ stopped turning - and was pointed straight at the Flor-Cheim Inner Sea. Alternis could only blink in confusion as the Sky Knights' airship took off in complete ignorance of the _Dark Knight_, which idled slowly southward.

Something struck his hull. A weak blow, but a connection nonetheless.

The _Dark Knight_ ceased its momentum and Alternis quickly brought his ship to rotate. The skies were empty. How in the world could a ship hide-

A clatter on that surface.

Alternis' gaze shot to port. Sitting on the deck was a small grey figure... was that a _brick_? Where the hell did a brick come from. Slowly, his hand caught the aerial brakes, causing the ship to stop turning, and stepped towards the brick, picking it up. Another clatter sounded on the starboard side, and Alternis quickly spun to see another brick sitting there.

He picked it up and looked over the railing.

A massive hole waited below, with a small company of men at the edge.

Upon recognizing one of the figures, Alternis found himself surprised that he couldn't hear anything being shouted.

+x+x+x+

"Interesting little construction party you've got here."

Holly's words as she and Barras stepped out of the Norende ravine were met with a scream of blades from seven Caldislan soldiers. Barras went to pound his fists in response before the white mage struck him in the side with her staff. "Put your swords down," she reprimanded. "We're not here to harm you. The kid that kicked our asses told us to come here if we wanted to make ourselves useful. I figured I'd come here and see what everyone was up to." She glanced around their construction. "I'm actually rather impressed," she admitted. "What's your game plan?"

"Young master Til asked us to create a storage-and-refuge out here," one of the soldiers mused, "and clear up the tangled woods." He beckoned to an array of twisted trees. "Once we've finished that, he requested we begin an armoury of sorts."

Barras was impressed. "That kid figured all that out?" he mused. "Wow. I thought he'd just be all 'you guys do what you want' and let you handle it."

Another volunteer shook her head. "The destruction of Norende has shown him great horrors," she admitted. "He's become more mature than he ought be. Girtablulu knows what would happen if he were pushed the wrong way."

The roar of an airship caused both the volunteers and the Sky Knight commanders to turn skyward to see a dark airship flying above them. Barras was the first to react, pointing at it. "That black, punchy _thing_!" he roared. "That's Alternis!"

"He must have been our pickup," Holly mused. "The kid's gonna have the Eschalot. Try and get his attention. Have you lot got anything to throw?" Here she turned to the volunteers._  
_

One of them handed Barras a brick.

The monk reeled back and threw it skyward. When it was nothing more than a speck in the sky, Holly's magic-sharpened eyes saw it bounce off the _Dark Knight_ and tumble back towards them, falling into the Great Chasm as the ship whirled into a turn. Barras stomped forward and grabbed another brick, hurling it again. This one disappeared around the helm area - it must have landed on the deck - and the ship continued another one-eighty before coming to a stop. Barras hurled one more brick, landing it again, and Holly stopped him from throwing anything else.

A few moments later, the ship began to descend.

Barras and Holly were unsurprised to see Alternis at the helm when the deck came level with the edge of the chasm. Turning the aerial brakes on, the dark knight rushed forward and leapt over the railing, landing at the edge of the cliff.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Where's the rest of the division?"

"Probably fried by now," Holly admitted. "Some kid's been kicking our asses left and right. Struck me and Barras down at the lake, and he must have got Ominas at the keep - the girl with him was wearing his asterisk. Said he took down Heinkel, but I haven't seen him."

"You mean that's _not_ Heinkel in the _Eschalot_?" Alternis exclaimed. When Holly raised an eyebrow at him, he explained; "I just saw the ship take off towards Harena. I assumed the Sky Knights had thought reason to travel to Ancheim. If that's not..."

The two Sky Knight commanders exchanged glances. "We're gonna look for the Captain and everyone," Barras offered. "What are you gonna do?"

Alternis shook his head. "I have to report to the Council." He turned and leapt back onto the Dark Knight's deck, grabbing the helm.

He hesitated before taking off, turning to Barras and Holly.

"Make sure Edea is safe."

Then the ship roared as he rocketed skyward, not giving either of them the chance to reply.

+x+x+x+

Airy had been incredibly confused as to why there were _piloting instructions_ tucked into the helm of the _Eschalot_, but she had no complaints.

Eleven hundred million years of practice, and she was _still_ no good at showing the Warriors of Light how to fly an airship. What memories she maintained of her first attempt at getting the _Eschalot_ into the air with Tiz, Agnès, and Edea had ended in her needing to draw upon what powers His Malevolence had granted her just to keep it in the air. The screams from Caldisla about the cloud of darkness the ship was riding on had been pleasant. The way the flight had treated her stomach had been less so.

When they finally got to Grandship, she had told the three Warriors to just let the autopilot handle everything.

Risk he might have been, but Alternis had been a _blessing_ when her wings read 5. Someone with actual experience in flying an airship had been a Celestialsend. And here she was, thinking she was going to have to go through that hell with Egil's Norende twin, and someone had been kind enough to leave them airship instructions. It was still no practiced hand at the helm, but nonetheless it was an improvement. Maybe the Eschalot would actually survive the whole trip intact for once.

Then again...

"So, what's this Ancheim place like?"

Til's question caused Airy to turn towards him. He was currently reclining against the railing of the deck, with Olivia at the helm - Arrior had managed to get the thing into the air, but his shorter stature had proven to be an inconvenience. At his question, Olivia only sighed in reminiscence. "Like an oasis in the heart of Harena's searing desert. The city is powered by a great clockwork wonder powered by a great windmill. Its buildings are designed to allow wind through, so as to cool them, and water is seen as an item of great value. Not for nothing is Ancheim considered 'The Land of Sand and Time'."

The Norende boy winced. "That sounds... painful," he admitted.

"Perhaps," Olivia admitted. "But the people are kind in heart. I'm certain we will be welcome on arrival."

Her words caused Airy to turn away nervously. _Shit, didn't think that part through. Olivia was from the Wind Temple, but I don't think anyone in Ancheim will even recognize her after she's been on the run in Florem. How the hell are we going to do this?_

A moment passed; then she forced herself to dismiss the thoughts. _Relax. Til's a lot younger than Tiz, but he can improvise like an Infernal. And Olivia's more responsible than Agnès ever was. If difficulties arise, we can just head to the temple and ignore the people completely._

Airy nodded. "Yeah," she murmured. "That'll work."

Olivia gave a wicked sneeze, sending the ship quaking and sounding shouts from Til, Airy, and herself as she tried to right the vessel.

_Oh, Susano-o, what the hell have I gotten into now?_

* * *

Draco: Might not see you guys for a bit. I've got a manga to read.


	20. NOTICE - DO NOT REVIEW

Alright, guys, confession time.

I won't be doing any writing for a fair while, and yes I can almost guarantee I will be maintaining this hiatus.

My mind has been going in several very unpleasant directions lately and I can't focus enough to write with this going on.

My apologies to those of you anticipating new chapters.

~Draconai


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